A Year in the Lives
by pandorabox82
Summary: A series of interconnected vignettes chronicling the year in the lives of the BAU. A/U, main characters will be listed in the chapter titles.
1. Garcia, Blake

"Happy New Year!" Penelope smiled as she heard her friends yell in unison. 2013 had been a difficult year for them, and she hoped that this new one would be the start of something better for them. It had to be, she supposed. There was no mad man hunting them down, now. There was no threat to them.

Her thoughts turning maudlin, she turned to face her friends, trying to smile. Only Rossi seemed to know that she was hiding her hurts, as he sidled up to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and hugging her close. "What are your plans for later on, Kitten?"

"Sleep in, go out for brunch, and then play Final Fantasy until my thumbs fall off. Why?"

"I just thought you might like to come over. I got a new racing game from Bruce for Christmas, and would love to have someone to play against." He gave her a warm smile and she found herself nodding in agreement. "Wonderful. I'll expect to see you about one, then. And bring your appetite, there are plenty of leftovers."

Rossi leaned in and kissed her cheek softly before draining his glass of champagne. "Get some sleep, then, my Italian Stallion. You are going to have your ass handed to you on a silver platter." Giving him a wink, she began to clean up some of the detritus of the party. Morgan began to help as well, and in no time, everything was looking clean. "Well, I'm heading to bed. There's room for two more of you." She waggled her eyebrows as she sashayed over to her bedroom, slipping through the curtain and climbing into bed.

JJ and Alex were quick to join her, and she shook her head a little before pulling up the covers. "The boys sent us in here, said that we deserved the most comfortable night. Rossi's heading home, for some odd reason."

"He's lonely, even in a group of people. Let him have his solitude, Jayje," she replied softly, slinging her arm around her best friend's waist. "I understand lonely."

"I noticed that Sam wasn't here this evening," Alex said as she let her arm come to rest around both of them. "Is everything all right there?"

"He got called away on some business. I sort of knew that would happen." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "But I am awfully glad that Der's girlfriend couldn't make it. At best, she tolerates me in his life. Everything's changed since they got together."

Alex's hand began to run up and down her side, and Penelope found herself crying a little. "He's the closest thing you have to a brother, of course it's going to hurt when things change." The older woman's soothing words eased her heart and she nodded, snuggling close to JJ as she let herself fall asleep.

Waking up hours later, she found that Alex was the only one left. "Morning, Alex. Why'd you stay?"

"Oh, James got called away to an emergency, and well, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay this morning. I know that you seemed a little down earlier."

She nodded as she got up and changed quickly, knowing that Alex wouldn't look, or mind. "I'm really missing Erin today. I know, it's been almost a year already, I should be over it, but I'm not. She admired me, Alex."

"You were one of the lucky ones. She admired me once, too, before we turned our backs on each other. I wish that I had accepted her amends the first time she offered them. She kept on trying, you know."

"I know." Penelope joined her in the living room and took a deep breath. "Did you make food?"

"Just pancakes. I know that you're a vegetarian, so I overlooked my craving for bacon this morning." She laughed a little at that as she took a seat at the table, reaching out for Alex's hand. "Prayer?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I don't know. Why would God take her from us?"

"I can't answer that, Alex. I just know that I find comfort in thinking that someone, anyone, out there is watching over us." She squeezed Alex's hand and said a short prayer before digging into her food. "I have to leave for Rossi's in about forty minutes. Would you want to keep me company until then?"

She nodded hesitantly as she ate, not looking at Penelope. "I'd like that, Penelope."

When they'd finished, they washed the dishes together and then Penelope dragged her out to the sofa, curling up against her warm body. "I know you don't like when I do this, but Jayje isn't here, and I need someone to anchor me to the present."

"I wasn't always like this. I used to crave touch. And then my mother died, and Amerithrax happened, and it became so easy to hold all my co-workers at arm length. Eventually, it extended to my family as well. It's been hard getting used to James being with me all the time. Just, keep working on me?"

The question was sweetly hesitant, and Penelope nodded. "I can do that, Alex." She smiled and scooted closer to the woman, resting her head on her chest and listening to her heart. "You're not good with children, or comforting victims. You're cold. Why did you choose to be a part of the BAU?"

"Because I didn't want others to be hurt any longer. I can analyze situations succinctly, I can break language down to the smallest phoneme, and I can see connections that others cannot. You don't need to be open to do that. We were going to be parents, once, at the beginning of our marriage. It, it didn't work out."

"Oh, Lexie," she murmured, reaching up to tug lightly on a piece of her hair. A soft silence fell over the room, and Penelope grew comfortable with the sound. Finally, though, it was time for her to go, and she pulled Alex to her feet and then into a tight hug. "Anytime you need a hug, my door is open, you know."

"I know." And then Penelope felt lips caress her cheek in a kiss of supplication and she tightened her arms around the older woman as her eyes began to sting with tears. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

She nodded dumbly, rooted to the spot as she watched Alex stride from her apartment. It was only noon, and already her year was shaping up to be extremely eccentric. Penelope could only imagine what her visit to Rossi's would bring.


	2. StraussRossi, Garcia

"I don't think that springing that particular bit of news on her was the wisest thing to do, darling," Erin said gently as she kissed Dave's shoulder. "You know she was never able to keep a secret."

"That was sort of the plan, cara mio. I think we're both tired of hiding."

She sighed as she settled back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. A part of her knew that he was right, but another, larger, part was enjoying the time she spent alone with her children and Dave. He turned onto his side and reached out to draw patterns on her stomach as she let silence linger in the room. "I don't know if I'm ready to rejoin the world of the living. Yes, you're right, I am tired of hiding. I would like to go out and do things, but I don't want to be overwhelmed with attention."

He let his hand splay out against her skin, and Erin relished the warmth that bled into her. "Cara…"

Erin turned so that she could look at him, her hand coming up to cup his face. "I almost died, David. I don't want to be touched by that life any longer. It's hard enough sending you out there to dance with evil." Dave ran his hand up to her breast, cupping it and letting his thumb run over her nipple. "Don't distract me, beloved. I'm trying to have a serious conversation."

"I know. I just thought that you'd want this, and I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "I'm just being selfish and afraid. Curtis knocked me around harder than I thought."

He gave her another soft kiss and she wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close. "I think it's time that you started seriously thinking about a therapist or a group. You need to talk to someone, anyone, who can fully understand what you went through. I only know bits and pieces, and I feel like I'm failing you."

As Erin watched, his eyes filled with tears, and she responded in kind before burying her face in the crook of his neck, letting herself sob. "You could never fail me, David. You've been my rock." She pressed her lips to the bits of flesh that she could find, wanting to tell him without words how much he meant to her. "Do you have someone in mind?" she finally asked, never pulling away from him.

"You might be angry with me for suggesting this, but since she knows about you being alive, you could go to Penelope's group. They've all experienced loss and will know where you're coming from. Or I could have her find you the perfect therapist. You know that she would leave no stone unturned in the background checks."

That made her giggle a little and she nodded. "Maybe I'll go with both options?" she said questioningly and he nodded as he rubbed her back. "Now, I could use a good breakfast. Crying tends to make me hungry."

"As my lady commands," he said before pulling back and kissing her lips possessively. Gently, he tugged her out of the bed and then helped her into her robe before putting his own on. Erin followed him down into the kitchen, smiling when she saw that breakfast was already started, and the table set for six. Six.

"David?"

"He knows nothing. I sort of invited myself over for breakfast this morning, too. Bruce said that it would be okay," Penelope said as she stepped into the room. "You are right, Rossi. He does play a mean game."

"And yet you still won," Bruce teased as he came into the room, smiling at her. "Morning Mom, Dave." Erin gasped a little, pulling the robe tighter around her as she realized that they were not going to be alone for this meal.

"I'll be right back," she murmured as she made a dash for the laundry room, digging through the basket to find a clean nightgown and hurriedly pulling it on before putting her robe back on. "So, what did you all make for breakfast?" she asked as she rejoined them, taking a seat next to her beloved.

"French toast. Penelope suggested it."

She looked at the other woman and smiled gently. "Thank you. Um, I can't recall if I asked you yesterday, or not, but would you please keep this under wraps for a little while longer? I'm not ready to be alive to all and sundry."

The woman gave her a sympathetic look and nodded before reaching across the table for her hand. Erin clasped it tightly and Penelope nodded. "I can do that, Erin. I'm just surprised that Hotch hasn't figured anything out yet. Usually he's more on the ball."

She shrugged as she let go of Penelope's hand and began to eat. "He might have a lot going on right now." Erin took a bite of her food, groaning a little as the flavors exploded in her mouth. "However, I am going to ask two things of you, things that David said will help me."

"Anything, Erin. I would do anything for you, especially after Cruz told me that you admired me."

The smile on Penelope's face turned tender, and Erin blinked back tears as she took a sip of water. "I need you to find me a good therapist, preferably a woman, who understands about addiction issues and returning from witness protection. And…"

"Yes?"

"I would like to join your group, to talk to others about the experience of loss." A few tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she grabbed a napkin and brushed them away, never looking away from Penelope.

"I think that we would love having you with us, Erin." Penelope also sipped at her water and then sighed a little. "When you're ready to come out as alive to the team, I know who you have to start with."

"And who would that be?"

"Blake. She misses you, a lot. And there's a lot of guilt in her heart." Erin glanced over at Dave and saw that he was just as surprised as she was with that particular revelation. "Please?"

"We'll have to see, Penelope." Erin went back to eating, trying to ignore the feeling of renewed hope that was blossoming in her heart. Her mind was still refusing to acknowledge that she was ready to step out, to restore her life, but it seemed as if her heart was there. And that scared her. Dave read her emotions and slid his hand off the table to cover her knee, squeezing gently. "We'll have to see what my therapist says."

"All right, sounds like a plan. I'll have you a list by Monday." Erin nodded and took a deep breath. Things were moving quickly, more quickly than she'd liked, but it was a start. Maybe this new year would be her best one in a long time.


	3. Hotch and Jack

"Daddy, I'm bored."

Hotch looked up from the report he was going over and frowned a little at his son. "Do you have any homework to finish? You go back to school on Monday, you know."

"I finished it the first day of break, Daddy. It was so easy. And it's way too cold to play outside today."

"What makes you say that?" he asked, leaning back in his chair a little.

"Ginger Zee. She said that the possibility of frost bite was extremely high, and that we should limit our outdoor exposure time to whatever is absolutely necessary."

As Jack smiled at him, Hotch wondered once more what he had done to deserve a son as intelligent as Jack. "Well, I seem to remember buying you quite a few books for Christmas, ones that you asked for. Have you finished all of them?"

Jack's look turned guilty as he shook his head. "No. But I don't want to use them all up right away. I want to space them out." He took a deep breath and then held out his iPad. "But, maybe I could download some free books from the bookstore?"

He laughed a little at his son as he nodded. "That would be fine, Jack." Hotch had known that he would ask that of him, so he had checked with Garcia, and found out that it was the classics that were free. "Go to town."

"Yes!" Hotch watched his son start to download books before going back to his reports. The team reconvened Monday, as well, and he wanted to have the backlog behind him. And then, he felt a deep wave of regret wash over him. This vacation was supposed to be Jack and his opportunity to be together, to do things together, and here he was, throwing that opportunity away.

"Actually, why don't we play a game together, Jack?" he asked as he set aside the file, smiling at his son.

The look on Jack's face made his heart skip a beat, and he nodded. "Yeah. How about Monopoly?"

Jack shook his head and scurried over to his present pile. "Aunt Penelope got me this awesome game for Christmas. I've been waiting for someone to play it with, since Aunt Jessica is in the Bahamas until tomorrow night. Please?"

He held out the rectangular box, and felt his brow furrow a little bit. "Gloom? What is this game about?"

Taking it from Jack's hands, he looked at the description, wondering why Penelope had gotten his son such a dark game. "It is so cool! The total opposite of most games, where you unrealistically make people happy, this one is where you make them unrealistically unhappy." He grinned at him, shrugging a little bit.

"You want to make people unhappy?"

Jack shook his head frantically. "Nope, I want to make these people unhappy. Not everyone." Taking the box back from his father, he opened it and began to set up, motioning for Hotch to join him at the coffee table. "It will be fun!"

"I suppose." Once it was set up, and they had started playing, Hotch found himself enjoying the game, the hour passing quickly. And then, Jack had won, causing the most misery to be piled up on his family, while making Hotch's own family happy. "All right, so maybe this is a fun game to play. I want a rematch."

Jack laughed and nodded happily, handing the deck of cards to Hotch to shuffle. Once everything was set up once more, they set about playing, letting another hour pass happily. "Thank you!" Jack squealed as he won once more. "I'm hungry."

"Let's go get lunch." Jack ran over to the kitchen and pulled out what he wanted while Hotch looked over the board once more. There were expansion packs to the game, and suddenly, he knew what to get Jack for his birthday. Pulling out his phone, he quickly called Penelope, and waited for him to answer.

"Yes, Boss Man?" she said a bit breathlessly.

"That game you got Jack for Christmas…"

"Gloom? Don't tell me, you hate it."

She sounded disappointed and he hurriedly tried to cheer him up. "No, I love it, actually. And there are expansions to it. I need you to get me them for Jack."

"I can so do that, Boss Man! I'm really surprised that you like it, I told Jack to wait until Jessica was back, since I didn't think you'd be very happy that I got him a game like that. He's like you, though. He knows the world isn't all happiness and rainbows, and would rather confront that head on. Unlike me, who still believes that miracles happen every day, that there are rainbows in every cloud, and forever isn't always forever."

He could tell she was trying to tell him something without saying it, and yet he had no idea what that could possibly be this time. Shaking his head, he smiled at Jack before speaking once more. "We need both personality types to make the world go around, Garcia. I'll see you Monday."

"Sounds good, Aaron." She hung up and he stared at the phone. She hadn't called him Aaron in years, not since Haley had passed, and he suddenly wondered what was going on. Knowing he wouldn't get any answers from her until the week began, he shoved his phone in his pocket and joined Jack in the kitchen.

"So, after we eat, can we play one more time? I know you need to get back to your work, but that was fun!"

"I think that we can arrange that. And maybe a few more times tomorrow."

Jack grinned as he nodded, handing the jar of jam to his father. "This is the best holiday ever!" he exclaimed before hugging Hotch tightly. He had to agree with his son, this was really turning out to be the best holiday in a long time.


	4. JJ, Will, Henry

JJ sipped at her tea, pulling the blanket closer around her as she shivered. It had turned wicked cold, and she wondered how Henry and Will could stand to be outside in it. Shaking her head, she covered up a little more before letting her eyes slip closed. It seemed like everything was converging once more, leading up to a shitstorm the likes of which she hadn't seen since Will had been kidnapped. Ever since that episode, she had listened to her gut when she got bad feelings.

However, those gut feelings had not seemed to extend to Will's treatment of her, and she wished there was something she could have done to change that outcome, that she hadn't been so rash as to agree to his proposal just because she had been worried about losing him.

Sighing, she let her head thump back against the couch and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. And she couldn't even call Penelope to tell her about what was going on in her heart. Her best friend thought that everything was happy and fairy tale romantic in their lives, and she was loathe to take that small spot of happiness away from her. It had been a hard year for them all, and she knew that Penelope was clinging to whatever bits of hope she could find.

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, glancing at the screen. Her best friend had just texted her and she shook her head a little as she read the message. _I managed to find Henry something else he'll love for Christmas! Xoxo_

Quickly, she tapped back a reply. _You already bought him enough toys to furnish a pop up store. What else could he possibly need?_

It only took a moments for Penelope to reply. _THIS!_ Attached was a picture of an adorable stuffed bear, taller than Henry currently was. Groaning a little, she smiled, knowing that Henry would love it, and that there was no way she could say no to Penelope.

_I suppose this means we'll see you shortly?_

_ Uh huh! I'll be by in two shakes of a lamb's tail._

JJ laughed as she set her phone aside, sitting up a little before standing and stretching. Heading over to the window, she smiled to see her boys making snowmen in the backyard. Will looked up and waved, giving her that grin that she had once fallen in love with. She waved back and was suddenly glad that the window hid her expression. He turned back to Henry and picked him up, setting him on his shoulders as they made their way to the house.

"I think that it's too cold out there to play any longer," Will was saying as he came inside, shaking off the snow as he held on to Henry's legs tightly. "Do you think that maybe we could convince Mom to make us some hot chocolate to warm back up?"

Henry beamed at her as he nodded. "Yes! Would you, please? With extra marshmallows?"

JJ shook her head, trying to keep a straight face as she shrugged. "I don't know. What makes you think that you need extra marshmallows?"

"They'll help warm me up! They're fluffy, like my blankie!"

She knew that she couldn't resist that face, so pleadingly earnest, and so she let her smile spread across her face as she nodded, beckoning him to follow her into the kitchen. While he and Will took off their snow gear, she pulled out three large mugs and the cocoa powder. Henry squealed and ran around the table while she made her way over to the fridge and got out the milk. Will was a step ahead of her, getting out a medium sized pot to warm the milk up in.

"Hmm, Henry, I can't find…"

"They're in the middle cupboard, top shelf!" he called out, pausing by his chair to stare at her. "That's where you put them after you made me hot chocolate the last time."

She giggled a little at how observant he was, and struggled not to pull away as Will leaned against her to grab out the bag. "Everything okay, cher?"

"Yeah, I'm just really cold today. I hope I'm not coming down with something."

He kissed the top of her head. "I could stay home and take care of you and Henry if you were sick."

She sighed, shaking her head a little. "You should know as well as I that evil stops for nothing, not even illness." Turning, she swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned up to kiss him. He returned the kiss with a surprising softness and she felt herself melt once more. These were the moments that kept her with him, the quiet peace that he could bring at times, the understanding that she had to do what she did.

"Ah, Jay, what are we going to do if you get really sick?"

She shrugged a little. "You'll find a way to deal with my whining. After all, I had to put up with your whining when you had the flu." JJ gave him a playful push, tugging the bag out of his hands and popping a marshmallow into her mouth.

"I don't whine," he protested, grabbing the milk and adding it to the pan. While his back was turned, JJ caught their son's eye, and gave an exaggerated nod and winked at him, making Henry giggle. "I saw that."

"You saw nothing, honey." She scooped the cocoa into their cups before adding the marshmallows, wishing that every day could be like this one.


	5. Blake

Alex sighed as she stretched and cracked her back. Since she had slipped on the ice coming home New Year's Day twisting her knee, James had made her sleep in the living room, resting and alternating heat and ice on it. While it felt much better by the second day, he had insisted that she continue resting it until she went back to work on Monday.

Letting out a short breath, she flopped back down onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling of their living room. She definitely needed to repaint, there were streaks of brown from where she or James had scraped the top of Christmas trees against it over the years. Making a mental note to do so, she turned onto her left side and looked at the coffee table. Her husband had been kind enough to stock up on journals and magazines for her, and she picked up the latest edition of _Journal of Memory and Language_. She turned to an article from one of her colleagues and began to lose herself in their analysis when her iPad sounded with the familiar Words With Friends notification.

Groaning a little as she sat up, she maneuvered her leg to rest on said table and grabbed her tablet, expecting to see Penelope's screen name show up in the notification feed. Instead, she read that someone named bosslady1 had invited her to play. She smiled, wondering who had randomly challenged her. Those players were few and far between, as word of her prowess spread amongst the top players.

Opening the app, she saw that the opening word was 'regrets'. It was an odd opening word, getting that combination of letters was next to impossible. And yet, here they were, with that opening, and she smiled at her letters, quickly coming up with a word that would net her forty points. Setting it aside, she went back to her article and read a little further, only to be interrupted once more by the sounding of the horn. Smiling, she knew that she was up for a good, fast, game, and she opened the app, quickly finding her word and sending it along.

Her opponent sent another word within minutes, and Alex lost herself in wordplay. It was good to have stiff competition once more, even though she felt like she knew her opponent, just based on the way she played. At least, Alex assumed it was a she, given the screen name and the words used. Deciding, against her better self, she opened the chat window and quickly tapped out a message.

_Hi, I'm Alex. How are you this Sunday morning?_

She didn't expect a quick reply, most people didn't really chat when they played, in her experience, but soon, she had her answer. _I'm Erin. We just got back from Mass, and I needed a new opponent. None of my friends will play me any longer._

Alex laughed aloud at that, knowing exactly how she felt. _I knew an Erin once, she was an amazing player, back in the day. I've missed the challenge._

_ I hope you're up for a new challenge ten_ the woman replied, and Alex once more felt a wave of Déjà vu sweep over her. It couldn't be, it was entirely impossible, and yet, this woman was replying to her exactly like a pre-Amerithrax Erin would have.

Shaking her head, Alex tapped out a reply. _Well, I hope I'm up to it, then._

_You will be._ Again, the cryptic reply, the way that she sounded so much like her friend of old, and Alex found herself wondering how to proceed. Sighing, she closed the app and set her iPad aside so that she could focus on her article. The notification noise tried to distract her, but she kept her focus on the article, needing the space to forgot the connections her brain was making. Ever since she was little, she had had the ability to forge connections out of the most tenuous of filaments, and whilst her intuitive leaps had quite often been right, she knew that she couldn't be right in that moment. She had been at the scene, watched them place Erin's body in the ambulance, and then attended her funeral afterwards.

Shaking her head, she pulled out her cell phone and texted James. _Is it possible for someone to look dead, to be dead, without being dead?_

_ There are drugs out there that will mask all signs of life, yes. Why?_

_ Erin._

His reply was a little longer in coming that time. _It is entirely possible, given what John Curtis knew about drugs and their effects. What makes you bring this up?_

Alex thought for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin as she gathered her wits about her. _I think I'm playing a game with her on Words With Friends. We started talking, and it sounded so much like her. That's crazy, right?_

_ No, Lexie. It is within the realms of possibility. I know, that doesn't ease your heart, but there it is. I'll see you in a few hours. And keep off that knee!_

_ Yes, Jamie._ Setting the phone aside, she sighed and picked up her iPad once more, needing to know more about this woman, this Erin who may or may not be her Erin. Opening the Words With Friends app, she tapped their game and went straight into their chat. _Are you married? I am, and he's being a wet blanket right now, since I twisted my knee._

With her breath caught in her throat, she awaited a reply, and she gulped a little as it popped up minutes later. _My husband is the same way. He almost lost me once, last May. He said that he's not about to lose me again. But you should listen to James, dear. He has your best interests at heart._

Those words seared her mind, and she tapped out a quick reply. _Erin Rose?_

The wait for her reply seemed to stretch into infinity, but finally a one word answer came up on her screen. _Guilty._

Alex felt her breathing speed up as she processed what she was seeing. _Call me?_ she finally typed in reply, hoping that she would get the reply she wanted. Instead, all she got was a smiley face, and she knew she had to be content with that for the moment.


	6. Morgan, Reid, JJ, Garcia

"Okay, why is Blake acting so weird?" Derek asked as he sank down onto Reid's desk early Monday morning.

"I haven't heard anything. Perhaps she received some piece of extremely good news over the weekend."

That comment caused Derek to take a close look at her stomach, only to receive a sharp smack on the shoulder. "Ow," he said looking up into Garcia's dancing eyes. "What was that for, Baby Girl?"

"She's not pregnant."

"And how would you know that?" he asked pointedly, Reid nodding in agreement with him.

She blushed deeply and he knew that she had probably dug deeper into Blake's past than was necessary, back when she had joined the team. "I may have accidentally taken a peek into her medical file some time back. I saw things that I shouldn't have. So I know that children were never part of her and James's equation."

"Garcia, you are going to end up in prison someday," Reid said, no hint of teasing in his voice. "She deserves her privacy."

"Oh, don't you think I knew that? But here she was, taking Emily's place, and I needed to know more about her. I never intended to look at her medical records, honestly. But that's water under the bridge, especially after the game she's been playing on Words With Friends. I guess she finally found a worthy opponent."

Garcia's eyes narrowed as she glared at Reid, almost daring him to contradict her. He shrugged and got up, going over to the kitchenette, his coffee mug in hand. "Baby Girl, what do you know that we don't know?" Derek asked, knowing that there was something else to his best friend's words.

Looking up at him, she gave him a wide grin before winking. "Wouldn't you like to know, Hot Stuff. Now if you'll excuse me, I actually have some work to do." Leaning in, she pecked him on the cheek and then sashayed up to her office, leaving him in her wake.

"I will get to the bottom of all this," he muttered as he made his way over to JJ and Blake. There was a bright smile on the older woman's face, and JJ seemed a little dazed by the sudden personality shift in her. "Hey, I hear that someone had a good weekend. Let me guess, you're mopping the floor with a new sucker."

"I wish." She looked up at him, the smile never leaving her face. The expression wiped years off her, and he felt himself reaching out, tugging on a piece of her hair. "I'm actually losing for once."

"And you're happy about that? I've seen you play, you're more competitive that Dave. Why would that put a smile on your face?"

She blushed a little, her eyes never leaving his. "Because I finally have a challenge. And an outlet."

Derek raised his eyebrow as he studied her face, looking for something that would tip him off, give him a clue as to what was going on in her mind. Of all the others, she was still the hardest to read, the most inscrutable, and that bothered him for some reason. "An outlet? For what?"

"For my frustrations, of course. I hadn't found anyone who could really listen to me and understand where I'm coming from." She shrugged a little, pulling out her phone and biting her lip in excitement. "If you'll excuse me, I have a word to play." Nodding to both of them, she moved off, limping a little.

As Blake settled behind her desk, Derek looked to JJ. "All right, tell me that was not at all weird."

"I know, right? Things have been decidedly odd with her and Garcia, ever since New Year's. You don't think they're…?"

"No. While Penelope might seek pleasure in all its forms, Blake is straight as an arrow. Or at least, I assume she is, she's never given off a vibe that says homosexual to me." They turned to look at the woman, and JJ drummed her fingers against her thigh. "I suppose she could have found a friend in her little game world. Penelope does that all the time. I just never took her for being the most open of people."

"Everyone changes, I suppose. Look at Strauss at the end. She was a completely different person from when I joined the BAU." JJ sighed, and he wondered if she was missing the woman just as much as he was. Cruz was such a different ball of wax, and he didn't like the way the man watched JJ, as if he had some sort of secret relationship with her, something that elevated the two of them above the rest of the team.

"Yeah, she was actually becoming human. I wonder what sort of person she would have grown to be. I guess that's life."

Blake looked up at them then, giving them an enigmatic smile, which he found himself returning. A faint blush of guilt darkened her cheeks as she looked back down at her phone and typed something. Shaking his head, he left JJ's side and climbed the stairs, heading up for Garcia's office. It was going to be a long year.


	7. Strauss

Erin settled back in the sofa, sipping at her tea as she watched the flames in the fireplace flicker and snap. She was in a bit of a lull in her game with Alex, neither of them could come up with a good word, and so they had declared to wait until morning to play again. And then, the team had been called away on a case, and she was alone.

Sighing, she took another sip of her tea before picking up her iPad and reading up on the news of the day. She knew that Dave would call her as soon as he could, and she smiled at the slim gold band that decorated her finger. The weight of it constantly reminded her that they had promised their futures to each other. Her cellphone rang and she picked it up, hoping to see his picture displayed there. Instead, it was a just as welcome face that stared up at her from the screen. "Hello, Lexie," she said, a smile on her face.

"What is it with that nickname? Garcia and James call me that, too."

"I used to be your Rosie, you were my Lexie, when we were behind closed doors. I can't believe that we've come back to this point in our lives. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too. This case is going to be a long one. You'll get a call shortly after he gets done talking to Hotch. The victims look a lot like Haley, I guess. I never met her, but that's what JJ told me. She was the one who sent Dave up to his room with a bottle of scotch."

"Ah, I wonder if they're…but then again, that remains to be seen. How is James?" Erin stretched out along the couch, crossing her legs as she stared up at the ceiling.

"He's doing well. The new job keeps him on his toes, but he's never had to complain about a lack of resources, or getting stalked by a lion while trying to do an operation in the field. It's our anniversary soon."

"Are you planning on doing anything special? I mean, it is your twenty-fifth, right?"

She chuckled a little at Alex's sharp gasp. "How do you remember that?"

"I have a good memory. And you didn't answer my question."

There was a soft sigh before Alex spoke once more. "I would love to do something special, but most likely one or both of us will have to work."

Erin smiled a little as she planned her next moves, determined to do something nice for Alex. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see. But you should get off with me and call James. He needs to hear your voice more than I do."

"All right, but make sure you play before you go to sleep. I need something to keep my mind occupied while I try to wind down."

"I'll do that. Talk to you later." After they'd hung up, her phone immediately began to ring once more. Smiling, she knew that this time it was her beloved, and she answered with a grin. "Hello, David. Is Aaron feeling better now?"

"Much. But how…Alex."

"Uh huh. So, I have an idea that requires a little bit of your cooperation. I'm going to be talking to Matteo and James's boss at the hospital. We're going to give them a surprise twenty-fifth anniversary vacation."

"And why do you need me? It sounds like you have everything planned already."

She bit her lip a little as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "Well, I thought that we would pay for it."

"Ah, now I see, cara. You need the deep pockets." She tried to make an outraged gasp, but it turned into a soft laugh. "That will be fine. As long as you promise to work on your manuscript until I get back. I want to see at least three new chapters."

"Yes, darling. Thank you for agreeing to this."

"As if I had any real choice. I want to keep my wife happy." He let out a tiny sigh, and she replied with a slightly larger one. "I love you."

"I love you, too." They hung up and she quickly opened up the Words With Friends app. She and Alex currently had ten running games, and she was ahead on six of them. It didn't take her long to make that ahead in eight of them, and she set the phone back on the charger before standing up and making her way upstairs.

Sighing deeply, she shimmied out of her clothes, the cool of the bedroom lapping at her skin. Pulling on a pair of pajama pants, she then padded over to Dave's drawer and took out one of his shirts. She was fairly certain he knew that she slept in his shirts when he was away, as he had the tendency to put her favorite one on top when he put the laundry away. But she couldn't help wanting to smell like him.

Tugging it over her head, she went to the bed and climbed in, pulling his pillow tight to her chest. She hadn't even bothered to ask where they were this time, she was so focused on listening to her friend and her beloved. Closing her eyes, she sent a quick prayer for protection up to God before letting herself fall asleep, visions of her plans for Alex and James running through her brain the entire time.


	8. Cruz

"This is Cruz," he said shortly as he picked up the phone. It was a harried morning as he tried to juggle budget cuts with keeping his teams intact. Once more, he was wondering just how Erin had managed to do that, and track down someone like Curtis, without breaking a sweat. And here he was, hopefully faking it well enough that no one could tell he felt like he was drowning.

"Matteo."

It was a voice from his past, one he hadn't heard in months, and a tiny smile curved his lips up. "What can I do for you, Erin?" he asked as he reclined in his chair, crossing his feet on his desk. This was a rare pleasure, especially since the woman wasn't alive to many people, if he remembered correctly.

"Well, I've started coming out as alive to people, slowly, and one of them is Alex Blake. It's been lovely getting to know her once more."

"And…?"

"I need a favor. Alex and James have a very special anniversary coming up, and David and I are planning something for them. I need your cooperation, Matteo."

He felt himself blush at the use of his full name for the second time in a matter of moments. She was one of the few who called him that, and he always felt like a little boy when anyone did so. "What sort of cooperation is that?" he asked, swallowing a little before reaching for his coffee mug and taking a long drink.

"She needs the weekend off, starting on Friday. I'll need you to fill Alpha with as many custodials and classes and busy work as you can in the week leading up to her anniversary."

He smiled a little, knowing that Alex and her husband had no idea what they were in for. He knew, from personal experience, that when Erin Strauss set her mind to something, it was as good as done, and done to perfection. "I suppose that I can do that. Have you already called James's work and wheedled them into agreeing with you?"

Her rich laughter echoed across the phone lines, and he found himself chuckling along. "Oh, you do know me well, Matteo. Yes, I chose the harder of the two to begin with this morning. It pays to have an in at times."

"That it does. Did Dave say how the case was going?"

There was a small pause before she spoke again. "It's hitting Aaron hard. I heard that the victims look like Haley." Her voice caught in her throat, and he wondered where the emotion was coming from. It would be too crass to ask her, though, so he let it be. "I just want my husband home and next to me."

Those words were very revealing to him, and he stifled the sigh that threatened to escape from his lips. "He'll be home soon enough. So, when is this special weekend for them?" Matt wanted to direct the conversation back to a topic that made Erin sound happy, for some reason, and he was rewarded with a happy sigh.

"It will be in March. The fourteenth through the sixteenth."

"Two months, all right, that gives me more than enough time to arrange things. Have a good day, Erin."

"You, too, Matteo."

They hung up and he sat upright in his chair, pulling out his iPad and updating it to reflect the request that Erin had made of him. With that done, he bent back over his report, trying to reconfigure the budget so that everything worked right. It would do no good to send a team that was two members down into the field, and yet, that's what he was being asked to do, it seemed.

His phone rang once more, and he smiled gently, recognizing his home ringtone. "Hello, my darling."

"Matt! How is your day going?"

He cracked his neck as he thought of how to answer. "I'm going over my budget for the quarter. Once again, I'm being asked to get double the results with half the money. Oh, and I got a request to give one of my profiler's the weekend off in March."

"Is Erin meddling once more?"

He laughed at his wife's teasing tone, his smile widening. "You are not even supposed to know that she's alive, Sara. She's not ready to let all and sundry know about her resurrection, and with good reason. The others here were very antagonistic to Emily Prentiss when she came back from the dead."

"Oh. So, who knows, then?"

"Me, Dave, and Blake, as far as I know. And her children, of course."

"Of course. Speaking of children, are you going to be home to tuck them in tonight?"

Matt glanced at his inbox, groaning a little. "I will try my absolute best to be home in time for supper, Sara. I just can't say how long everything will take."

"Well, I'm making meatloaf tonight, if that tips the scale in our favor."

His stomach growled hungrily, reminding him that he had forgone breakfast in favor of coffee, figuring that that would be quicker for him. "Actually, that does sound really good. I'll see you a little after five."

"I'll try not to hold you to that, Matt. Have a good day."

"I'll try." He didn't really want to hang up on his wife, but he knew that he had to get back to work, and so he disconnected the call and buckled down, keeping the image of home burning in his head, encouraging him to work quickly.


	9. Reid, Blake

Reid sat up and stretched, trying to be as quiet as possible, so as not to disturb Morgan. There had only been four rooms available at their hotel, so he and Morgan roomed together, while Blake and JJ had doubled up. Hopefully, this would be their last day on the case, and then they could head home. He was more than eager to sleep in his own bed, in his own room, with no one to bother him.

Not that Morgan was really a bother, per se, he just found himself craving privacy the closer it got to the anniversary of Maeve's murder. It was hard to believe just how much had changed in a year. In a way, he had become accustomed to the adage that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. He liked sameness, he liked continuity.

Quietly, he flopped back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Reid supposed that his need for routine stemmed from his mother and her illness, but still there was an almost unhealthy obsession with it. Blake would know what to tell him, she always seemed to know the perfect thing to say to him, something that had surprised him, even though she had been his mentor for years before he'd joined the BAU.

Slipping out of bed, he toed on his slippers and padded over to her hotel room, scratching at the door so as not to disturb them if they were still awake. Reid jumped a little when JJ pulled open the door, her hair in wild disarray. "Is there a break in the case?" she asked through a yawn, and he shook his head. "Then why are you here at six in the morning?"

"I need to talk to Blake," he mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"One second. Alex!" He gave another little jump at just how loud she sounded, and then Alex was sitting up in her bed, pushing her hair back from her face.

"Mmph, what?" she asked as she stretched. "Do we need to get out in the field?"

"No, Spence needs to speak with you. I'll go see if they've started breakfast." She brushed past him, seeming oblivious to her state of dress. Shaking his head, he entered their room and closed the door behind him.

"What do you need?" Blake asked as she tucked her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"It's been almost a year."

"It has. I wish there was a way to change things, to make it so that we stopped her stalker before she killed her. I had hoped that…"

Her voice trailed off and he nodded, taking a seat at the edge of her bed, curling up his body in the same manner. Reid never took his eyes off her, even when his own began to well up with tears. He made no move to wipe them away, instead letting them come, knowing that they would do much to heal the wounds of his soul. "I had hope once, too. But not everyone is like Emily, not everyone gets a second chance."

A guilty look passed over Blake's face, and he wondered what she was thinking about. "There is that. Very few people are afforded a second chance at life. We should embrace those who return to us, you know."

"I know. Who are you talking about, though? You never met Emily."

She blushed deeply and looked away from him. "No, but I know of her. Let's just leave it at that, all right?"

Reid knew that she was hiding something, but he was willing to let it go for the moment, if only to focus on his current predicament. "All right. I don't want to dwell on losing her."

"You loved her. Even though you never got to kiss her, make a family with her, you loved her deeply and truly. You are going to dwell on how it feels to lose something so precious. Have you considered talking to someone?"

He shook his head wildly. "No. Not after what Mom went through. She's finally found a good doctor. I can deal with this on my own."

"Can you?" she asked probingly, and after a moment, he nodded. "Fine, I'll leave it at that for the moment. Just, make sure you go to someone when you need to talk. I would hate for you to succumb to your addiction once more."

It was his turn to blush as he nodded, giving her a pained smile. "Garcia finally convinced me to start playing Words With Friends. What's your screen name so that I can challenge you?"

She smiled at him, nodding slightly. "I need another challenge. My name there is LenitionLady," she replied, spelling it out for him. Nodding in return, he went to say something more when she spoke again. "And you should add bosslady1, as well. We've been in a fierce competition for days so far. And she pulled ahead of me last night. I'm sure she'd love new blood."

The smile that Blake gave him caused him to shiver a little as he nodded. "I will do that. Thanks for talking me down off the ledge. I guess I just needed a friendly ear for a few minutes. I think I'll go down and join Jayje for breakfast."

Blake shrugged and smiled a little wider. "I'm always here to listen to you, Spencer. Please, keep that in mind." They stood up, and she unexpectedly opened her arms to him. Reid stepped into the embrace, welcoming the feel of her hand rubbing up and down his back. In that moment, he could almost pretend that she was his mother, comforting him, and for that, he was grateful.

"Thank you," he whispered when they let go of each other, and she nodded, slipping into a robe before following him down to the small kitchenette.


	10. Jessica and Jack

Jessica smiled as she watched Jack play in the snow. She had taken him to her favorite ski lodge for the week, since his school had scheduled an extra-long break over the holiday season. Her phone buzzed, alerting her to a new text, and she picked up the device, smiling to see the message from Aaron.

It was good to know that he as coming home, but she was loathe to give up this time with Jack. Making her decision, she tapped back a quick reply. _I'm glad you're coming home safe and sound once more. We'll be staying here through Sunday afternoon, giving you a little alone time. Go up and see Beth, it's just a short train ride away._

His reply bothered her a little, and she frowned when she read it. _That is not an option at the moment. We're dealing with some issues. But it will be nice to relax and find some peace._

Jessica sighed deeply. She knew that peace was something that he lacked most days, the ghosts of Haley and Erin gnawing at his heart and mind. There had been nothing he could have done differently, the outcome would have always been the same, and yet she knew that he believed he should have been faster, better, smarter.

A few wayward tears slipped down her cheeks as she tapped out a reply. _I won't disturb you then, the rest of the weekend. Love you._

_ Love you, too, Jess._

She smiled a little before setting the phone aside. She knew that most of her friends didn't understand the strange relationship she had with Aaron. And she was certain that one or two of them assumed that she was sleeping with him. Which was the furthest thing from the truth. They were truly like brother and sister, and she relished having some sort of connection with him, as he was her closest link to Haley. The tiny crush that she had had on him, back when they had gotten married, had morphed into an intense love, something she cherished as the years grew from when they had lost Haley.

Jack came running over to the door, stamping his boots before slipping inside. "Did you hear from Dad yet?" he asked breathlessly as he struggled out of his snow clothes.

"Yes. He'll be home Sunday night when we get there." Jack gave her a wide smile as he nodded eagerly. Coming over to her side, he gave her a tight hug. "Do you want some hot chocolate? I can feel the cold coming off you in waves!"

"That would be nice, Aunt Jessica." He followed her into the kitchen and hoisted himself up on the counter to watch her putter around. "Did everything turn out all right with the case?"

She nodded as she pulled out two mugs, setting them next to him before handing him the tin of cocoa powder. "Yeah. He sounded tired, but he always does after long cases like this. I'm glad it was only five days this time."

"Me, too," Jack replied as he poured the powder into the mugs. Jessica had to bite her tongue to keep from commenting on just how much he was adding to their cups, and she forced herself to go over to the fridge and pull out the milk. Then she rummaged around in the cupboard next to the stove and pulled out a medium sized pan. Pouring in the milk, she set it on the front burner and turned it on before looking for a wooden spoon to stir the milk with. "I think that he and Beth are going to break up."

The sudden statement caught her off guard and she stopped stirring to look at him. "What makes you say that, Jackers?"

"They don't talk the way they used to. She's starting to sound a little like Mom did."

Jessica was astounded that he could remember the fights that Haley and Aaron had had, since he had just been a toddler. Or maybe he was referring to the strained, harsh, phone calls that they had had. Haley had never been real careful when she got very angry, and some of the cases that Aaron went out on were enough to elicit that response from her. "I'm sorry to hear that. I thought that your father was happy with her."

"So did I." He let out a sigh beyond his years, and in that moment, he looked so much like his father that she just had to drop the spoon and close the distance between them, opening her arms and hugging him tightly. "Why do all the special women always leave us? Am I doing something to scare them away?"

The plaintive cry to his voice broke her heart and she rubbed his back softly as he started to cry. "Was there someone else who left you?"

He nodded against her shoulder. "Miss Erin. Dad wouldn't let me go to her funeral, but she was always so kind, Aunt Jessica. She sent me cards on my birthday, without fail. And on, and on…"

His voice stopped, and Jessica knew what he was going to say. She had received cards from the woman as well, telling her how sorry she was, trying to excise some burden of guilt that ate at her soul. When Aaron had told her about the woman's death, she had been devastated, and now she knew that it had touched Jack as well. "Sometimes, the very best people are the ones that this world destroys. Sometimes, the ones who care too much, who try to hide behind a mask, are the ones who need our love the most. I miss Erin, too, Jack."

She kissed his cheek before stepping away from him, stirring the milk and then turning the burner off and dividing it between their mugs. "When we get home, can we visit their graves? They need flowers."

"That would be lovely, Jack, of course we can do that." She mixed the milk and powder, watching the liquid darken. She only wondered how Aaron would take this turn of events. He thought that he was so good at protecting his son from the grey of his world. But just like his father, he seemed to seek the grey out. And then Jack smiled at her, and Jessica knew that somehow, this year was going to be better than the last.


	11. Garcia

Penelope stretched as she sat up. She finally had a Saturday off, a day all to herself, and she was going to use it for all she could. Even her boyfriend wouldn't be interrupting her day, since he had had to go into work and put out a few fires late last night. So she was gloriously free.

Padding over to the bathroom, she quickly peed and then washed her hands before brushing her teeth. Heading out to the kitchen, she grabbed an apple and burrowed into a corner of the couch, picking up her iPad, leaving it plugged into the charger. Quickly scrolling through the notifications, she smiled to see that she had moves to make in Words With Friends. And there was a new player on her list, a LexiconLover79.

Opening up that game, she knew in an instant that it was Reid, and that she would be up for a mighty tough game. "Really, Reid? Abaxial? What does that even mean?" she muttered as she struggled to find a good word to play.

After finally settling on oxen as her word, she huffed a little as she moved on to her next game. This one against Alex was going in her favor, and she smiled when she saw that the woman had left open a double word-double word opportunity. Scanning her letters, she grinned when she realized that she could take advantage of it, and quickly played pleasing. After the word had been sent, she opened the chat window. _I should never have encouraged Reid to play. I am going to be frustrated every time I play against him._

Penelope played through the rest of her games, making certain to send on a heart in the chat window to Erin. With that taken care of, she played a few hands of solitaire before settling into the book she was currently reading. She became so engrossed in the world of her story that she barely heard the sound of her phone going off.

Finally, though, it broke her concentration, and she fumbled for it on the coffee table, bringing it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi. I saw that you played. I'm trying to think of a good word to play against you."

"Erin! How goes your weekend?"

"We slept in late today."

Penelope blushed at the thought of what could keep her friend and Rossi in bed late. "That's…nice, I guess."

A rich, throaty, laugh warbled over the phone line, which only deepened Penelope's blush. "Oh, believe me, it was. Delicious is also a word you could use. Look, I don't want to embarrass you any more this morning. Would you like to come to Mass with us tomorrow? I know, you're not particularly religious, but, well, I'd like to have you there."

"I would absolutely love that, Erin. Do you have any suggestions on what not to wear?"

"Just be yourself, you'll fit right in. Though, perhaps, either less cleavage or more glitter."

Penelope couldn't help but giggle at that. "Ah, either less or more distraction, gotcha. Anything else pressing?"

There was a slight pause, and she knew that something was up. "Nothing that I can tell you right now. We're just waiting for the right time. Most likely after I return to the land of the living."

"What do you call what you're doing right now?"

Another laugh escaped Erin's throat. "This is just a half-life. When everyone knows that I've had a miracle or two happen in my life, then perhaps I can tell you what's happening."

"Well, I throw a good party. Just tell me the word, and we can let everyone in the BAU know about this."

"Well, there is the little dilemma of getting Emily Prentiss back here. If you can arrange that, then we can plan the party, I promise."

Already, the wheels were turning in Penelope's head and she nodded to herself. "And that is a promise I am going to hold you to, my dear. I'll talk to you later."

"All right, sounds good. Have a wonderful weekend." They air-kissed before hanging up and Penelope let out an excited squeal as she sat up and took hold of her iPad, quickly starting to plan out everything she would need to do to ensure that Emily was back as soon as possible. She had never been a patient woman, and when given a way to expedite things, she always went for it.

After making up a preliminary list, she set the iPad aside and tried to get back into her book, only to find that her brain was too busy to fully concentrate on the words. Sighing, she thrust the book aside and flopped back onto the couch to stare at the ceiling as the thoughts of the magnificent party that she would throw for Erin and Dave at his place, just as soon as she could convince Clyde Easter to let Emily come over for a very short holiday…


	12. Hotch, Rossi, Garcia, Strauss

Aaron felt a certain timidity as he stepped into the church that Dave normally went to. The man had invited him once, years ago, when he was dealing with the aftermath of what Foyet had done to his life, but he had never taken him up on it. Now, though, with his relationship to Beth fraying at the middle, he felt the need to commune with God and a friend.

Looking around the sanctuary, he found his eyes soon drawn to Dave. It didn't really surprise him that the man was sitting close to the middle, towards the center aisle, but he was surprised to see Penelope also there, ensconcing a blonde woman between them. Furrowing his brow, he sidled down the outside aisle and then scooted into their pew, taking a seat next to Penelope. "So, who's the lady next to you?" he whispered in her ear.

Aaron was not prepared for the swallowed shriek as his technical analyst whipped her head around to look at him. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, moving her body to block out any glimpse that he could possibly get of the woman, and his inner warning bell started clanging.

"I decided to take Dave up on his offer to attend Mass with him. What are you doing here?" he replied, trying not to sound short with her.

"I was invited as well. Do you know, then?"

He frowned in confusion. "Know what?"

"Oh, do stop fighting, children," a low, cultured, voice said and Aaron felt the blood drain from his face. Gently, he pushed Penelope back against the pew and took his first real look at the woman next to Dave. "Hello, Aaron. I suppose it is fitting that you would find me alive in church. I didn't realize that you were coming today."

"I decided that I needed to be with a friend right now. Beth and I, well, we've hit a rough patch. But, how? What?"

His loss for words seemed to distress her, and she reached across Penelope to take his hand in hers. "Curtis tried very hard to make certain that I would die. I did die, for a time, and then the EMT worked some medical magic. David knew the importance of making it seem like I was dead, just in case Curtis was working with someone, someone who would finish what he started. And then, I just decided that I liked being dead. It was freeing."

"What about now?"

"Now, I'm coming back to life. You are the third person to know that I'm alive, even if I am playing a bit of a cat and mouse game with the dear Doctor Reid. So, do you feel able to keep my secret?"

Her eyes met his, and he could see the tears that sparkled there, and he nodded. "I can, Erin." He ran his thumb against the back of her hand and she smiled tenderly before slipping her hand out of his and taking hold of Penelope's, her head coming to rest on David's chest.

"Thank you. And you're welcome to come to dinner with us afterwards. I have a delicious lamb roast in the slow cooker. There's enough for one more at our family table."

The offer sounded wonderful to him, and he found himself nodding as he grinned at her. "That would be really nice. Jess is with Jack at some lodge, and they're not coming home until later tonight, so I'd be alone anyway."

"This is perfect then," she said lowly as the organist's prelude came to a close. This seemed to be a cue for them, as Erin drew even closer to Dave, clasping their hands together as they knelt to pray. Penelope nudged him to follow suit, and he did so, listening to the voices around him speak in a hushed hum in response to the priest. There was something about the prayer that touched his heart, and he found himself crying in response.

Penelope was there, in that moment, covering his clasped hands with one of her own, rubbing her thumb in a circle over them. "I have you, Boss Man," she murmured in his ear.

He gave her a grateful smile, one which she returned, and then focused on the prayer once more. Soon, they were settling back in their pew, and Penelope still had not let go of his hand. He went to ask her why, only to see that she was crying as well, her other hand held tightly by Erin. It was an intimate moment between the three of them, and he found himself unable to break it.

By the end of the hour long service, Aaron found that he was rather enjoying the feel of Penelope's hand in his, offering him comfort without asking anything else from him. They stood and he tried not to stiffen in shock when Penelope turned and hugged him tightly. "Everything is going to be all right," she said lowly, reaching up to cup his face and stroke his cheek. "I know that you really want things to work out between you and Beth. Maybe it's time to let her go and see if she returns to you."

"Maybe," he replied as he met Dave's eye over Penelope's shoulder. His eyes were narrowed and Hotch shook his head almost imperceptibly. All he got in return was a curt nod, his best friend's arm tightening around Erin's waist as he led them from the pew. He was loathe to release Penelope just yet, needing the comfort of a friend in that moment. Somehow, he knew that she would be right, as usual. Everything would be all right.


	13. JJ, Will, Garcia

JJ had a hard time waking up Monday morning. She had waited for a call from anyone on Alpha team all weekend, hoping that there was something that she could do to get out of the house. Will was being his usual self, it wasn't something that she could put her finger on, but she was annoyed with him beyond belief.

"Hey, I brought you coffee, _cher_." Pushing her hair out of her face, she blinked up at him, trying to focus. "Henry's still sleeping, I'll take him to school today. There was a text on your phone from Garcia, asking for your help with a new case."

She nodded as she took the mug from his hands, breathing in the delicious scent of caffeine. "I'll need to get moving, then," she said thickly, sipping at the coffee. It seemed to wake her up a little and she swung her feet over and stood up. Taking another, larger, swallow, she handed the mug back to him and then went over to the master bathroom. After peeling off her clothes, she stepped into the shower and turned the water on, letting the sound of it cover the sound of her inexplicable tears.

JJ stayed under the spray until it turned cool, and she struggled to quiet her sorrow. There was no reason for her to be so snappish and off-kilter, and yet here she was, emotion welling up out of her heart. Pulling a towel around her body, she stepped over to the mirror and blow dried her hair before styling it. There was nothing she could do for her puffy eyes, and she only hoped that Will would take no notice of it.

He knocked on the door and she smiled at her reflection, hoping that it would win him over. She walked over to the door and opened it for him. "Hey."

"Hey. You were in there a long time, is everything okay?"

She nodded and shrugged a little. "It's that time of the month. You know I tend to get a little weepy." The easy lie flowed from her lips as he nodded before pulling her into a tight hug. JJ tried not to stiffen in his embrace, to let her body relax against his. Will rubbed her back gently, and she sighed deeply as she tried to gain control over her emotions.

"Well, if you need me to call you in sick today, I can do that. We could spend a day together…"

"That's really sweet, but I have to go in. You know I could never forgive myself if the unsub were to take another life because we were understaffed." Pulling away a little, she kissed his cheek. "Now, I need to get dressed and head out."

"All right." He let go of her and she went over to her closet, pulling out a light blue blouse and navy pants. It didn't take long for her to get dressed, and then Will was pushing her travel mug into her hands. "Your purse and bag are on the counter. Stay safe, wherever you head to today."

"I'll do my best." Leaning in, she kissed his cheek once more before making her way downstairs. She could hear her son talking to himself and she smiled as she entered the kitchen. "Hey, Hen. I have to go to work now. Be good for Daddy, okay?"

"Yes, Mama," he lisped sweetly, raising his face for a kiss. She dropped one onto his lips before ruffling his hair. "Tell Aunt Penelope I love the teddy bear. And that she is the best aunt in the world!"

JJ laughed a little before kissing her son once more. "I will so do that, Hen." Grabbing her bags off the counter, she made her way to the garage and climbed behind the wheel of her car, heading out to work. As she drove, she listened to the radio, trying to find her focus for the day. The sound of her phone ringing caught her attention, and she muted the music to take the call. "Hello."

"Hey, gumdrop. Um, I have something to tell you, that you can't tell to anyone else."

Penelope sounded so nervous, and she wondered what had caused her to be in that state. "All right, I promise not to tell anyone."

"Hotch kissed me yesterday."

JJ felt all the blood drain from her face as her stomach turned to stone. "I'm sorry?"

"We went out for lunch after Mass, and since Jessica and Jack weren't back yet, I invited him over to my apartment. I had gotten Jack a new board game for Christmas, one of my favorites, and we started to play. After I had won, we decided to talk for a little bit. And then, he leaned over and kissed me. I can't tell Sam what happened, it still seems unreal."

"Did he say why he kissed you?"

"No. And he didn't apologize for the kiss, either. I'm so confused, Jayje."

She sighed as she felt a small flicker of anger flame to life in her breast. It was odd, she shouldn't be jealous, and yet, that was also there in the back of her head. "We'll talk about this some more when I get into the office, okay?"

"All right. Thank you."

"You're welcome, hun." As she disconnected the call, she found that she couldn't bury the mixture of feelings that were upsetting her, and she wondered how she would face her friend. And it bothered her that she was feeling jealous over something as small as a kiss. Then again, her and Will's affair had started over less. Letting out a frustrated breath, she pushed the gas pedal down a little harder, needing to see her friend and discover what was going on.


	14. Rossi, Strauss

"Did you think there was something odd about the way that Hotch and Garcia were acting on Sunday?" Dave asked as he flopped back onto his hotel room bed.

"Darling, you can't keep running this over in your head, you'll drive yourself crazy. From what I've heard, they're just friends. But if he makes Penelope happy, then I don't see why I shouldn't encourage her to consider a relationship with him," Erin replied, a yawn splitting her last words with him.

"Because he very obviously had a thing for JJ when I returned to the BAU."

"What?" she asked sharply, and he could just picture her sitting upright in their bed, her hand on her chest, looking outraged. "Whatever do you mean?"

"It's just, I made an innocent, off-hand, comment about how we didn't have someone like JJ back when I was with the BAU the first time around. He reacted less like a boss and more like a jealous boyfriend to said comment, and I always assumed that they had a thing going on. I knew nothing about Will at the time."

She sighed, and he knew that she was snuggling back into her pillow, a tiny smile spreading across her lips. "Well, she would have been your type. Blonde, blue eyes, beautiful."

"Everything that I loved about you. Well, except for the blue eyes. You have the most amazing green-grey-blue eyes that I've ever seen." He let out his own little sigh and turned on his side, staring at the picture of her he'd set up on the nightstand. "That was why I married my second wife, you know. I thought that if I was with someone who looked nothing like you, that I would be able to get over my feelings for you."

"Oh, David," she whispered. He wondered if he had made her cry, and so he waited to hear her next words. "You are ever so good at distracting me from my quick temper."

"Why? Jealous?" She laughed a little, and he knew he had guessed rightly. "That is thoroughly adorable, Erin. Just another reason to love you. But back to the dilemma at hand. All three of our friends are currently in relationships, and to encourage anything more developing between any of them would not be the wisest course of action."

"Oh, I know that, David. I'm just thinking of the future. You must remember, Beth wasn't at Penelope's party. You told me so yourself. That's not the sign of a healthy relationship."

"You weren't there," he gently teased, only to be sorry when he heard her breath catch in her throat. "Erin Rose? What did I say wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't tell me that, my love. What did I say wrong?"

"Do you really think that we have an unhealthy relationship? Are you angry that I continue to hide away?"

He felt his breath leave his lungs as he closed his eyes. "Oh, Erin, cara, beloved. I know your reasons for hiding. I know that you want to be careful, that you don't want to be hurt any more than you already were. I'm sorry for making you cry."

"I know. I'm sorry for being so fragile. And I got bad news."

"What?"

"The IVF didn't take."

He felt his heart sink, and wished that he could be there with her, in that moment. "When did you find out?"

"This afternoon. Karen was so upset. She's spending the night here."

"And is she curled up next to you right now?" he asked, hoping that she was.

"Uh huh. She's managed to sleep right through this conversation."

"That's good. Give her a kiss for me, before you go to sleep, all right?"

"I will. You know that I love you, right?"

"Not nearly as much as I do. I mean, I was the one who got a tattoo for you." He rubbed his chest, right above his heart, thinking about the infinity symbol that rested there. "You know that I secretly hate needles."

"There is that. And you took something ugly about me and made it beautiful." She yawned once more, and he knew that he had to let her get to sleep. "I'm sorry I'm so tired, honey. It's just been a rough day."

"I can only imagine. Go to sleep, and dream of me."

"I will. I love you. Good night."

"I love you, too. Sleep well." They hung up and he set his phone into the charging dock before sliding beneath the covers and resting his head on the pillow. He missed the scent of Erin's shampoo on night's like this, when he knew that he needed to be there to comfort her. There was something about the soft scent that comforted him, and he wanted to be there with her, breathing in the smell.

Closing his eyes, he tried to get the sounds of her tears out of his mind. Knowing it was a losing battle, he sat up a little and called her back. "I couldn't get to sleep either, David. Speakerphone tonight?"

"Yes," he breathed out, smiling. "Even though your alarm will wake me up way too early for Seattle."

"I'll try to get right up then, and shut it off. Sleep now, David."

"I will." He closed his eyes once more, settling back on the bed and listening to the gentle sounds of her breathing even out. Soon, sleep was claiming him, and he welcomed the darkness, safe in the sounds of his beloved.


	15. Garcia, Blake, Strauss

"Erin!" Penelope wailed as her friend picked up her phone. "Help me!"

"What's wrong, Penny?" the woman asked, and she could hear a soft voice murmur in the background. "No, Karen, this won't take long. Go, start the movie."

"Am I interrupting something?" she queried, anxiety making her voice raise even higher.

"No, we're just staying up late, watching girly movies. Obviously, you need me, what's going on?"

"You know I'm in San Jose, right? Everyone's going to see my past!" She was embarrassed to let her team in on her past, that they would see this part she had played, when she had been so angry at the world that had taken her parents from her. At the legal system that had handed down a slap on the wrist to their killer.

"I know, dear. And they're going to find out that the Black Queen was just a grieving young woman who was lashing out at the world that had hurt her."

Erin's voice soothed her frazzled nerves, and she nodded as she snuggled up on the bed, staring out the window. "How well you know me."

"How well I remember your case. And the pretty pink stationary you used to scrawl out a passable resume. I was both happy and upset at what Aaron had done, I had wanted to be the one to reel you in. However, Tabitha broke her arm, and I was unable to go along."

A soft smile spread across Penelope's face. "Really?"

"Really. Listen, if you can, convince Alex to come home with you. I'll kick Rossi into the guest room for the night, and we can have a girl's night. I think you could use some companionship. If Agent Jareau knew about me, I'd say to bring her along as well."

"She wouldn't come anyway, she's upset with me at the moment. Hotch kissed me," Penelope said in a rush, not certain how Erin would take that particular bit of news.

"Ah, so I was right." Penelope frowned. "Oh, just wait until David hears about this new development."

"Erin! This is not a good thing! He kissed me like I was one of his friends. JJ seems to think that there was something more to it than that, but there wasn't! Even if I did like it a little."

"What's upsetting you then?"

Trust Erin to cut to the heart of the matter. "He's with Beth and I'm with Sam. I can't have feelings for anyone else right now. Besides, Jayje would be better for him, they both have children, and well, her relationship with Will is heading for an end, at least from what I've heard from her."

"But shouldn't it be about what the both of you want? Don't push him away if you want to explore something more."

"I suppose, Erin. Thanks for talking me down off the ledge, and we'll see you when we get back."

"I'll look forward to that, dear."

They hung up and Penelope sighed deeply, turning onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She was in a fine kettle of fish with her best friend, and while Erin had brought up a good point, that she should listen to her heart, it wasn't exactly what she had wanted to hear.

Someone tapped insistently at her door, and she groaned a little as she slid out of bed and padded over to the door. Looking out the peephole, she saw Alex standing there, a forlorn look on her face, and she quickly unlocked the door, ushering her inside. "I've been kicked out of our room. Can I spend the night with you?"

Penelope nodded as she locked the door once more before leading Alex over to the queen sized bed. "Why did you get kicked out?"

"When JJ mentioned that it was Hotch who recruited you, I said that it made sense, now, the relationship the two of you have. She did not take that well, and said I could find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

"Oh."

"So, is there something going on between the two of you?"

They took a seat on the bed as Penelope shook her head. "No. At least, I don't think so! Erin asked me the same thing tonight, and yeah, I've always had a soft spot for him, but I think we're just friends. Like me and Derek, only different. Special."

The older woman smiled at her, and Penelope blushed a little under her scrutiny. "Well, no matter what path you choose, I'll support you. I promise."

"Thanks." Penelope stretched out on her side of the bed, looking at Alex. "Erin wants to have a girl's night when we get back. I think that sounds wonderful."

"So do I. It will be nice to spend time with her." Alex joined her, stretching out and covering herself with the sheets. "I have the feeling that I'll learn a lot from you on this case, Penelope. There's so much I don't know about the internet and hacker language."

"I can teach you a little, as we go along. It shouldn't be that hard, you're so smart." Alex blushed a little, and Penelope tsk'ed a little. "You are."

"There are days I wonder."

"We all have those days. But before night falls, we should always tell ourselves that we are exactly the person that God made us to be, and we cannot be anyone different." As she spoke, she knew that she had to take heed of her own advice, that she had to listen to the still, small, voice in her heart that was whispering at her. She wasn't certain yet, what it was saying, all she knew is that she had start listening.


	16. Reid, Blake, Morgan

Reid found himself staring at Garcia, wondering just what else he didn't know about the woman. They had known each for a decade at this point, and yet he had had no idea that she was such an amazing hacker. In the back of his mind, he had assumed that was the truth, but seeing it confirmed was decidedly bizarre.

Shaking his head, he climbed into the car and pulled out his phone, needing to distract himself from the conclusion of their case. While it had had a good outcome, he was still unsettled by the way that people could just make data disappear. That was why he trusted books. They were more permanent than their digital components, and he could hold on to them, keep them safe. Sighing, he tapped on the Words With Friends icon and played through his games with Blake and Garcia, leaving bosslady1 for last.

"Are you ready to go, pretty boy?" Morgan asked as he climbed behind the wheel, and he nodded absently, looking over the board. There were a couple good places that he could play, and he barely felt the car begin to move.

After he had played his word, he tapped on the chat bubble. _Alex said that you were a good person to talk to. I hope she's right. I have a friend, and I learned a little more about her past today. I still care for her, but, things seem different now. Any idea how I should talk to her?_

Not waiting to get a reply, he closed the app and stared out the window at the passing scenery. It didn't take them long to get to the airport, and he trudged on the plane, trying to get his mind off everything that was bothering him lately. Maybe it was dealing with Maeve's death, maybe it was losing Strauss nearly a year ago and having to deal with a new boss as a result, or maybe he was just tired of it all. He couldn't be sure what it was, but he was tired.

Sighing, he sank into one of the seats and closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the seat. Reid smiled slightly as he felt the warm weight of a blanket drop over him, before soft lips brushed against his forehead. He could tell by the perfume it was Blake, and it made him happy for some reason.

Without meaning to, he fell deeply asleep, the only thing waking him hours later was the horrid way his ears popped as they began their descent. Blinking open his eyes, he found Blake staring at him, a tender smile on her lips. "What?"

"You were laughing in your sleep. Did you have a good dream?"

Reid shook his head. "I can't remember. I don't usually remember them, though. I didn't say anything, did I?"

She shook her head as she braced herself. That had been the one thing that he couldn't help but notice, her fear of the landings. Once they were on the ground, she relaxed and let out the breath that she had been holding. "Maybe one day I'll get better at the landings," she said as she stood, slipping out her phone from her pocket. "Ooh, looks like…" she glanced up at him and bit her lip before speaking once more, "bosslady1 played. I wonder what words I'm going to be playing off of this time?"

He pursed his lips a little, realizing that she knew exactly who the woman behind the screen name was. "I don't know, I wonder if she played my words, though." He also took out his phone and saw that she had, and he opened the app, immediately going to the chat window, seeing that she had sent him a message.

_You should just be yourself. She's probably feeling a little self-conscious at the moment. I know that I would be, if I had told myself something that not many people knew. She's going to need you as a friend more than ever._

The advice was wise and motherly, and he smiled a little, wondering if the woman had children. _Thanks. I guess I just needed to hear that from someone. Do you have children?_

Leaving the question hanging there, he quickly played the best word that he could find before putting the phone away once more. "So, are you doing anything after this, Kid?"

He looked up into Morgan's smiling face and shrugged a little. "It depends. What did you have in mind?"

"I thought that we would take Garcia out for a round of drinks before she heads out to her friend's house. Does that sound good to you?"

Reid found himself nodding and Morgan clapped him on the back as he grinned. "Well, that seals it, all of us are heading over with you, Baby Girl."

"I told you, Der, you don't have to make me feel better about this whole debacle." He shrugged, copying Reid's earlier move, and wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her off the plane. "Besides, you know that I can't get drunk, not if I'm going to drive over to Rosie's." Penelope met Blake's eye and they shared a secret smile, on that made Reid wonder once more exactly what was going on. Obviously, they were in on some secret, one that made him wonder what they could be hiding.

"And when are we going to meet this elusive Rosie?" Morgan teased as they climbed down the stairs.

"I told you, she's a bit gun-shy at the moment. But as soon as she's ready, I'll be certain to invite you over for a party, I swear." She winked at him before leaning up and kissing his cheek. "Just keep in mind that this is going to be a wonderful year."


	17. Blake, Strauss, Garcia, Rossi

Alex sat up, pushing the hair out of her face. She was ensconced between two warm bodies, and she smiled as she came to remember that she had spent the night with Penelope and Erin. They were both still sleeping, and she tried not to disturb them as she scooted back against the headboard, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Their night had been so sweet, staying up late watching movies while Rossi had made popcorn and sundaes for them. They had very nearly fallen asleep on the sofa when he had prodded them upstairs, claiming that the sofa would be bad for their backs. He had been right, of course, but they had still protested, claiming it wasn't that late. A wide smile spread across her face as she reached down to stroke Penelope's hair tenderly. The woman had been through so much that week, and Alex felt a warm wave of affection wash over her heart.

It was Erin who stirred next, her eyes fluttering open as she focused her gaze up on Alex. "Good morning, Lexie," she murmured, cuddling up against Alex and resting her head on the woman's legs. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Penelope's still out like a light, though. Do you think we should wake her?"

Erin shook her head. "Let her sleep. I know what it feels like to be so exposed in front of people, even if they are my friends. That's partially why I don't want to be alive to all and sundry. While I might feel all right in the company of you and Dave and Penny, there are so many that would question why I've stayed away so long. In fact, I'm surprised I haven't heard that from Aaron."

Tears clouded her eyes, and Alex let her hand come to rest atop Erin's, stroking it softly. "I haven't talked to him about your being alive, but I think that he might just be glad that you're alive and healthy, Rosie."

Erin smiled up at her prettily, shrugging a little. "Still and all, there are going to be a few people that will be very upset with me. Doctor Reid and Agent Morgan being chief among them."

"I take it they were the ones who didn't react well to Emily coming back?"

She shook her head, twining their fingers together. "No, and for good reason." She sighed deeply. "Maybe it was wrong of me to let you know I was alive. Penny was an accident, I had no idea she was coming over, and couldn't hide, but I allowed you to bait me out. Agent Morgan was so upset when he found out that Aaron and Jennifer knew about Emily, had lied to them about Emily, and I fear what his reaction would be this time, when he finds out that his best friend has been keeping a secret from him for so very long."

"Mmm, he had better not shut me out, he's my best friend." Penelope came to wakefulness next to her, turning and covering their hands with one of hers. "I wouldn't be able to choose between the two of you at this point, Erin. I care for you too much to turn away from this friendship we've forged."

Pouting a little, she looked up at Alex, and the woman couldn't stop herself from leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "If he asks you to do that, Penelope, choose him. You've been friends longer than we have." Erin sounded so sad when she spoke those words, and Alex let out a deep sigh. "What, Lexie?"

"You two are so self-sacrificing. You need to learn that it is okay to be a little selfish once in a while, that sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand when something or someone is important to you. I didn't do that, all those years ago, and it is only through the grace of whatever deity you believe in that I get this second chance."

The bedroom door opened, and Dave entered, holding a tray with a pitcher of orange juice and four glasses. "Good morning, ladies. I thought I heard voices, and decided to bring up orange juice for us. And I want an explanation for these tears from all of you."

Alex hadn't even realized that tears were slipping down her cheeks until he said something, and then Penelope was reaching up and brushing them away. "We were just talking about friendship, honey," Erin replied as she disentangled herself from the others, sitting up and sitting back against the headboard as well.

Dave shook his head as he poured them each a glass before setting the tray on the nightstand. "Friendship shouldn't make you cry, ladies. Not tears like these."

"Erin's worried that Der will react badly to news of her return and force me to choose between them. I'm trying to tell her that it won't matter, that I'll fight for both of them, since they both mean so much to me." Penelope let go of Alex and scooted over to Dave's side at the foot of the bed, taking her glass from him and sipping at it.

"And if I know my Kitten, I know that she is more stubborn than any mule. She's going to make certain that everything works out for good, and the Devil himself would be hesitant to try and cross her."

This drew a giggle out of Erin, and that, in turn, set Penelope off. Alex let out a happy sigh as she shook her head. "I rather think that Penelope could convince a Laplander to buy another reindeer, if she put her mind to it, Dave."  
He nodded and sipped at his juice. "Another good point, Alex." Reaching out his hand, he tickled Erin's calf, and she blushed a little. "What time are your friends going home?"

"David James Rossi! You are not propositioning your wife in front of us!" Penelope tried to sound outraged, but failed as she bit her lip to keep in her laughter. Alex finally let go of the giggle that had been building up, and she hurriedly covered her mouth with her free hand. "See, you've even managed to get to Lexie! I don't know what we're going to do with you!"

"Oh, I think Erin could think of a few things…"

"That's it! Out, David! Leave us in peace this morning." Erin tenderly kicked him, arching an eyebrow as she pointed towards the door.

"All right, I know where I'm not wanted. But I'll remember this for tonight."

"I hope that you do," Erin fairly purred as he stopped in the threshold of the door. "And I hope that you hold it against me."

"Yes, ma'am," was his cheeky reply, and all Alex could think of, in that moment, was her James and how it had been so long since they had been that spontaneous. Maybe it was time, then, for a change…


	18. Jessica, Hotch, Jack

Jessica smiled as she picked up her cellphone. Penelope had finally played with her in Words With Friends, and she was looking forward to taking the next move. Frowning a little, she noticed that the notification was not from her, but rather a new player, bosslady1. Arching her eyebrow, she found herself relishing the competition of a new player.

"They are so going down," she murmured as she tucked a leg underneath herself, settling back in the recliner. And then her heart sank as she saw the opening word – salvos. "Maybe not." Frantically, she looked for the best word to play, settling on tames. It wasn't the best word, but it was the best that she could come up with at that moment.

_Thanks for giving me a challenge. I needed a tough competitor_ she tapped into the chat screen before going through and playing the rest of her games. Thanks to Penelope, she was playing a game with Doctor Reid and Doctor Blake. Aaron always teased her about that, but she felt the woman deserved the same respect of title that Doctor Reid received.

When that was done, she picked up her laptop and settled in on her book. No one, not evn Aaron, knew that she was working on this project. One of her friends had encouraged her to write, and she had found it soothing over the years since Haley had passed. Her current story, though, was giving her fits and starts. After Jack had mentioned his missing Erin, she had gotten the idea of writing a fantasy story, one where an evil sorcerer had made to kill the beloved, but feared, queen, only to be foiled by the power of true love.

Jessica knew that it was a thinly veiled story, at best, a way to work through her sorrow and unhappiness, but it was one she wanted to write, nonetheless. Setting her fingers on the keyboard, she stared at the previous paragraph she'd written, trying to form the words that would come next. All she could focus on, though, was her deep feeling of sadness. She sighed as she went back to the top of the document, reading through what she had already written, making little tweaks to what she had written.

Finally, she found inspiration and began to type away, the words flowing from her fingers as she dreamed up the next scene of her story. The queen's grandson, Sweet John, had just declared that he would go out on a quest to find the one thing that would revive his grandmother from her magicked sleep. Once she started writing, she found that she couldn't stop, the story unfolding in her mind as she went.

The ringing of her phone startled her from her trance-like state, and she looked up, frowning a little at being thrown out of her groove. Picking up the phone, she sighed sadly as she saw Aaron's number on the display. "Hey, where are you headed to today?"

"Nowhere. Jack just wanted to know if you'd like to come over for a little bit. He wants to play Gloom with you, and have a pizza night."

Quickly, she saved the file and smiled widely. "That sounds absolutely amazing! I'll be over in about an hour."

"We'll see you then."

Hanging up, she stood and set the laptop on the coffee table, picking her phone up off the table and jogging upstairs to her bedroom. It didn't take her long to change, and then she was heading back downstairs and out the door to her car.

On the drive over to Aaron's house, she thought about where she had left off in the story, and sighed. Sweet John had just encountered his first test of seven, and she was wondering what that test should be. There were seven heavenly virtues, and it made sense for her quasi-medieval character to face a challenge in each. The test of her writing ability would be to make certain that the task fit in with the overall thematic arch of the story. Somehow, she knew that charity would be the final test the young man had to face, since it was the highest virtue.

Jessica found herself tearing up as she began to plot out the ending of the story, how the final trial would reunite the Queen and Sweet John, and how he would choose to lay down his own life for her, in order to bring her back from her coma. Wiping away the tear, she took a deep breath as she pulled into the parking lot of Aaron's apartment complex.

By the time she had made it up to his door, she had gotten control of her emotions once more, and smiled brightly when Jack threw open the door and hugged her tightly. "Aunt Jessica! Daddy's already ordered the pizza, it should be here in a few minutes!"

He dragged her inside and over to the couch, where Aaron was sitting, his face buried in a report. "Hey, you made it!" he said as he turned his face up to look at her. "I know it's last minute, but, we really wanted a family night."

"Aaron, that is so sweet," she murmured as she sank down on the couch next to him. "I will always want to have family time with you guys. Always."

He smiled as he set aside the file, resting his hand on her knee and patting it gently. Jessica felt a sense of peace settle over her heart as Jack climbed up into her lap, cuddling in close. It was moments like this that made her life complete.


	19. Will, Rossi

"Jen, what's wrong?" Will asked as he sat down next to his wife.

She shrugged a little, pulling away from him with the move. "I'm fine, Will." Her tone told him that she was far from fine, and he wanted to press the matter, until she turned her face to look at him. There was something so awful about that face that he shrank away from her, trying to conceal his reaction. "What?"

"I don't know, honey." He reached out and squeezed her hand tenderly before standing and looking down at her. "I think I'm going out for a little bit."

She nodded absently, not even saying good-bye to him as he exited the room. A deep frown spread across his lips as he went into the kitchen, slipping into his coat and grabbing his cellphone before heading outside.

It was so cold out, something that he had never gotten used to, despite living in DC for five years. Pulling his coat tighter around his body, he flipped through his contacts before touching Rossi's number. It didn't take him long to answer, yet Will found himself frozen from the first word. "Hello? Will? What's wrong? Is it JJ or Henry?"

Finally, he found his voice. "No. It's me. I think that Jay has fallen out of love with me. Would you mind if I came over and talked. Out of everyone on the team, I think you would understand the most."

As Will listened for his answer, he thought he heard a gaggle of feminine voices in the background, and he wondered just what he had been interrupting. Jen had told him that the man had been famous for his sexual exploits back in the day, but could he really be participating in an orgy, a la Hugh Hefner? "That would be fine, Will. Come over whenever you're ready."

"All right, it shouldn't take me too long." He couldn't keep the puzzlement from his voice, but he hoped that Rossi hadn't picked up on that. Turning around, he slipped back in the house and grabbed his keys off the hook, heading out to the garage. JJ didn't even call out to him to make certain that everything was all right, and Will fought to not say something sarcastic to her. He knew that his sarcasm would just cover up the hurt that he was feeling.

On the drive over to Rossi's house, Will kept the music off, needing time to think about what he would ask the man. He had no idea where to even begin. After all, how did one ask about how to make your wife fall back in love with you?

Finally, he pulled into the drive, glancing up at the second story of the house. There was a woman standing there, looking down, and for the life of him, he swore that it looked like Erin Strauss. Which was absolutely ridiculous, given that the woman had died. Maybe Rossi had found a doppelganger for her, sleeping with her to remind him of his murdered love. The woman caught his eye and quickly stepped away from the window, the curtains obscuring her from view.

Shaking his head, he turned the car off and got out, striding over to the front door and ringing the bell. It didn't take long for Rossi to answer, and Will tried to smile at the man, though he feared it came out more like a grimace. "Hey, Will, come on in. I have scotch set up for us in the den."

He followed after the older man and sank into a plush chair in front of the fireplace, undoing the buttons on his coat before slipping his arms out of the sleeves. "I didn't interrupt anything important?" he asked, fishing for an answer to the questions he had to who the woman upstairs was.

"No, Erin's children are spending the weekend, so one of them might pop in while we're talking. I love spending time with them." That explained the woman who looked like Erin, then, he suddenly realized, sipping at the glass that Rossi handed to him. "Now, what is going on with you and Jen? I know there's some tension between her and Penelope, so I'm assuming that something is up between the two of you as well?"

There was a hint of gloating in the man's voice, and Will frowned a little, shaking his head. "There's nothing wrong on my end. I love her still, always will. She's just turned cold lately, and I don't know what I've done. She doesn't turn to me any longer. I don't think she turns to Penelope, either. How do I win her back?"

Rossi stroked his goatee absently as he thought. "You can't," he finally said, looking at him levelly. Will glared at him, and he raised a hand to stop any words that might have tumbled from his lips. "Love doesn't work like that, you should know that. Love is fleeting, ephemeral, and sometimes it slips from our grasp. If she loves you, she'll get over this snit. Just, love her enough for the both of you right now."

Will nodded, finding the advice wise. He took another sip of scotch, staring at the fire. And then, Penelope waltzed into the room, a secretive smile on her lips. "Hey, Dave. Rosie ordered lunch for us, it should be here in about an hour. I told her to make certain that there was enough for you and Will, too. Hope you like Indian, Will."

"That sounds good to me." She smiled at him before leaving once more, and he looked at Dave. "Rosie?"

"My w – my girlfriend." There was a lie in those words, and Will wondered just who this Rosie was, and what she meant to Rossi and Penelope. Somehow, he felt that this newest wrinkle would just cause more trouble for him and JJ in the end.


	20. Morgan, Rossi

Derek smiled sadly as he stopped in front of Erin's grave. Someone had placed fresh flowers there recently, and he was glad that there were others who guarded her memory just like he did. The cold weather didn't deter him, he just pulled his coat a little tighter around his body, trying to keep from shivering.

"Hey, Erin. I brought you lilies, I'm not sure if you would have liked them. I didn't get the chance to really know you, to find out your likes, the way I know JJ's or Emily's or even my Penelope's. You were so removed from us, in your ivory tower, and I never thought to see if that tower was also a prison. Maybe if I had, you wouldn't have turned to alcohol. I miss you," he finally admitted, to the grave and to himself.

Crouching down, he reached out and traced the dates of her birth and death. She was younger than he had thought, only forty nine when John Curtis had murdered her. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he let them fall, knowing that tears were good, were nothing to be ashamed of. Bowing his head, he began to pray, the tears continuing to fall. It was only when someone touched his shoulder that he broke from his reverie.

Looking up, he found Rossi there, Erin's children flanking him. "Hey, Derek. We didn't expect to see you here today." The older man squeezed his shoulder tightly before helping him to his feet. "The kids decided that they wanted to use their day off from school to visit. I see you brought flowers."

"Yeah. It seemed fitting. I don't think I've ever been introduced to her children though. Would you care to do the honors?" he asked, giving Rossi a small smile.

"Oh, sure. I can't believe that with how often Penelope's been over that you haven't come along with her." Gesturing to his right, he spoke once more. "This is Karen, the oldest of the Strass children. Next to her is Bruce, the only boy. And this munchkin on my left is Tabitha. They are my pride and joy in my old age."

Tabitha snickered a little, and Dave lovingly tapped her shoulder before wrapping his arm around her waist. "Papa Dave thinks he is sooo funny." She extended her hand to him, and Derek shook it heartily. "So, do you have fond memories of our mother? I'd love to hear them!"

He shrugged a little, feeling vaguely uncomfortable about drawing up a blank at what to say to her. "Why don't we take Derek out to coffee, after we place our flowers?" Dave finally asked, rescuing him from his misery. Tabitha nodded and took the flowers from Dave's hands, setting them next to Derek's. "All right, we'll see you at Higher Grounds in about twenty minutes, then?"

Derek nodded and ambled over to his truck, getting in and quickly driving away from the cemetery. Alone with his thoughts once more, he began to wonder why the kids were so familiar with Dave. It was clear that there was more to their relationship than just a short affair between Erin and Dave. It ran deeper than that, he could just tell. And then, there was the small detail that the older man had let slip – Penelope was spending a lot of time over at his home. He had no idea that that was occurring, and it bothered him for some reason that he couldn't pin down.

Pulling out his phone, he went to call Penelope when he saw a text message from Savannah. _I'll see you at home later tonight! xoxo _He groaned a little at seeing that, and started a little at that reaction. She was his girlfriend, after all, he should be glad to see her. Yet, he knew that he was upset to be seeing her for the same reason he was upset that Penelope was spending a lot of time with Rossi.

_That sounds good_ he typed back before taking off once the light turned green. It didn't take him long to find the coffee shop that Rossi wanted to meet at, and he quickly grabbed them a large booth. While he waited, he pulled his phone out once more and quickly texted Penelope. _Hey, I ran into Dave and the kids at Erin's gravesite. He mentioned that you spend a lot of time with them. When did this happen?_

Setting the phone aside, he steepled his fingers together and waited. His phone buzzed, telling him that he had gotten a reply to one of his texts, but he wasn't certain that he wanted to see which reply he had gotten first. Without even looking at the display, he tucked the phone in his front pocket and simply waited.

"Derek!" Looking up, he saw Tabitha bound into the café and make her way over to him. "So, I am officially not allowed caffeine. Everyone else thinks I'm too hyper as it is. What do you want?"

He chuckled at her exuberance, wondering how this bright, shining, girl could ever be related to Erin Strauss and shook his head a little. "Kid, why don't you get me whatever you think sounds good."

She nodded eagerly and went over to where Dave and the others were in line. Derek felt that he would really like getting to know the Strauss children, he only wished that he had been able to do so before Erin died, so that he might have gotten to see the family dynamic between them all. It was all their loss, and he would take whatever he could get.


	21. Garcia, Strauss

"So, Derek asked me yesterday how come I spend so much time at your house," Penelope said as she made herself comfortable on the couch. Erin smiled at her and sighed a little, which Penelope knew was her code for wanting to ask a question without asking it. "I told him that I like spending time with your children, which is true. I couldn't tell him that I like spending time with you. I mean, it's only been three weeks since I found out you were alive, it shouldn't be this easy to get to know you and like you. But it has been."

"Thanks, I think," the older blonde replied, picking up her knitting project and starting her next row.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I don't articulate well. I never expected us to be this close since I didn't realize how much you respected me. I had preconceived notions of who you were that blinded me to the real you. And now, now that I've been able to see you, free of the work place stresses, free of the grip of alcohol, I've found it really easy to open up to you. Okay?"

"Okay. So, how are things between you and Jennifer? Will was over here a few days ago, and Dave mentioned that he thinks there's tension between the two of you."

Penelope looked down into her lap as she shrugged. "Yeah. I'm trying not to dwell on it, though."

"Penelope."

She looked up into her friend's eyes and burst into tears. "I don't want to have a crush on Hotch if it's going to lose me my best girl friend!" She heard the clink of knitting needles before Erin was at her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "It's not fair. I'm in this relationship with Sam, I like him, but my thoughts keep turning back to Hotch and that stupid little kiss we shared. And Derek is acting all weird, too. My life has gone from smooth to choppy in twenty one days! How does that even happen?"

Erin made a soft sound in the back of her throat as she ran her fingers through Penelope's hair. Instinctively, she scooted closer to her friend, resting her head on her chest and listening to her heartbeat. "Well, you know that it's always when things are going their best that horrible things happen. Look at me, after all. I was making excellent progress in my recovery, I had found the love of my life, and then my past came back to bite me, hard."

There was something about her voice that told Penelope she was crying, too, and she snuggled in a little more, wanting to comfort Erin in some way. In the background, she heard a door slam, and she wondered who was home. It wouldn't be Dave, since the team had headed out to Utah earlier that morning. "Mama! I'm home!"

Penelope recognized the voice as Tabitha's, and the slapping of feet confirmed that thought. The girl was easy to remember, she lived life to the fullest. "Welcome home, Tabby," Erin said lowly as the girl entered the room.

"Hey, why are you crying? Did something happen?" she asked as she plopped down next to her mother, her arm closing around the both of them. Penelope was grateful for the extra touch as she struggled to get control of her emotions.

"No, nothing bad has happened. I promise," Erin replied as she shifted a little bit, bringing Tabitha in a little closer to them. "We were just having a little discussion about why life can be so confusing at times. Especially when there's a love octagon in the mix."

That statement caused Penelope to giggle a little and she sat up to look at her friend. "You would be the one to figure that out first, wouldn't you? How did I get myself into this situation, Erin? Seriously."

"Because life happens, and it's messy, and wonderful, and hurts, and is messy. Now, what you need to do is sort out your feelings for everyone. They, in turn, are responsible for their feelings. Okay?"

Penelope nodded a little before letting her head thunk back onto Erin's chest. "That is so easier said than done. I'm going to worry about everything until everything settles."

"Well, then, who would be the easiest to start with?" Tabitha piped in, tapping her arm excitedly. "I mean, that's what Mama always told me to do, start with the easiest thing when you're nervous about how things will play out. Once you get over that little hurdle, the next one, while it may be bigger, is easier to handle, since you've already gotten over the first one."

"Oh, so my words of wisdom have sunk in," Erin murmured before kissing Tabitha's forehead. "And she is right, Penny. Take this situation from easiest to hardest, otherwise you'll end up running away. And this is one situation you can't run away from."

"I know. Though I do want to just let things be for a while. Okay?"

"I'll give you a week before I start needling you about things." Erin chucked her chin softly before getting up off the couch. "Now, I think that we all need a mug of hot chocolate before Tabitha starts working on her homework."

"Mama!"

"I know you, honey, you always put it off. Besides, maybe Penelope can help you, if you need it."

"Fine," she huffed out before hopping to her feet. "Come on, Penny. I suppose that I have to do my homework."

"Aw, come on, munchkin, it will be okay." She stood and took hold of Tabitha's outstretched hand, letting her lead the way to the kitchen. It was so nice to be included in the family and know that she was being listened to. She just hoped that she could take Erin and Tabitha's advice and begin to untangle this knot she found herself tied up in.


	22. Blake, James Blake

Alex sighed deeply as she sank down onto her bed. James wasn't home yet, which left her alone with her thoughts. She had considered calling Erin and talking to her, but then she thought better of that. She was free from the demons of the BAU, and she did not want to be the one who brought that back into her life.

Flopping back, she stared up at the ceiling and began to count the beams. When she had arrived at the right number, thirty five, she began to count knots in the wood. She had never had to get to that stage of lowering her anxiety, but it was late, she wanted to turn her brain off and go to sleep sometime soon.

Sitting back up, she crossed over to the dresser and pulled out a flannel nightgown, needing to feel warm. It had surprised her how quickly she had become ice cold the moment she had watched the unsub take his own life. She had been so close to him, she should have done something more, and then he was gone.

Shivering viciously, she traipsed over to the master bath and stepped inside. Standing before the mirror, she slowly stripped and took stock of herself. Alex felt she didn't look any different, but she wondered when she had gotten soft, when the unsubs had started getting under her skin. The first fat tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she quickly brushed them away, taking a deep breath and trying to gain control back.

Finally, she couldn't look at herself any longer, and she stepped into the shower, letting lukewarm water wash over her body. In a way, they felt like tears, and they cleansed her from the grime of the case. Slowly, she washed her hair, trying to focus on what tomorrow would bring, and how she could move forward.

All she seemed able to dwell on, though, was the look of sorrow on the man's face as he pulled the trigger. And with that thought, the tears came once more, turning into loud sobs as she rested against the wall of the shower, her head falling heavily onto her arm.

Alex barely acknowledged the familiar presence of her husband behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her back so that she leaned against him. "Hey, what's wrong, Lexie?" he whispered in her ear.

"Our unsub committed suicide in front of us."

"And that was your first one, wasn't it?" She nodded. "Oh, my sweet Lexie." He dropped a kiss to the curve of her shoulder, and she turned in his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she let herself cry. Reaching around her, he turned the water off and helped her to step out of the shower before gently drying the water from her body. Alex closed her eyes, relishing the sweet touches.

"Will you hold me tonight? Will you let me be vulnerable, and soft, and everything I can't be at work? Please?"

"Of course, my darling wife." He kissed her tenderly and she melted into the kiss, finally finding something that could disrupt the thoughts whirling around in her brain. James ran his hands down her back, holding on to her hips lightly, his thumbs rubbing the smooth skin of her stomach. "Are you still cold?"

"Yes," she whispered, and then felt him let go of her with one arm. Alex pulled away slightly to see him reaching for her nightgown, and she smiled at him, lifting her arms so that he could drop the garment around her.

"I hate to cover you up like that, but I don't want you to freeze." He smiled back at her, chucking her chin lightly. "Are you ready to let me lead you to bed?" She nodded and he clasped her hand, bringing her over to the bed and gently pushing her down onto it. As she watched, he padded over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants, shimmying into them before joining her.

"Do you see that often in the emergency room?" she asked as she crawled beneath the covers.

"Only the after effects," he replied as he got in next to her, spooning his body around hers. "It really is the saddest thing to see. Sometimes, life just gets you down so far that you can't see the light, and that seems like the only way out to them. It's so hard to tell the family, too, since, more often than not, they think that we can perform some miracle and save their loved one from themselves."

Alex nodded and snuggled in closer to him, resting her ear against his chest and listening for his heartbeat. The strong, steady, sound soothed her a little, and she sighed. "I wanted to call Erin tonight, to talk to her, but I couldn't do that to her."

"Um, honey, she's dead…oh my god, she's not, is she? That's the woman you keep playing in Words With Friends! Lexie, who else knows that she's alive?"

"Just Dave and Penelope, I think. She's been really hesitant to let others know that she survived. I would be, too, though! I mean, John Curtis really did a number on her. But you have to promise me that you'll keep it a secret until she comes out as alive. Okay?"

He nodded against her head and began to rub her back in soft circles. "I promise. And it seems that you've been growing close to her. When did you find out about her?"

"The Sunday after the New Year. Remember, I had twisted my knee, and you made me stay off it? Well, that's when we started playing, and it was sort of easy to figure out. Oh, Jamie, she's alive, and we get to be friends again!"

He chuckled lightly before dropping a kiss to the crown of her head. "Think about that, then, until you fall asleep. And in the morning, I'll make us waffles. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jamie," she said through a yawn, closing her eyes and letting sleep overtake her.


	23. Reid, Garcia

Spencer sat back in the theater seat, eager to watch the Korean film festival. He only wished that JJ could have come with him, it would have been a good time for her. Over the past few months, he could tell that she had been under a lot of strain, that there was something in her life that was bothering her. And he knew that it extended to Garcia, too, since he had noticed an odd tension that had crept up between the two friends recently.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

He looked up into the smiling face of one of the women he had been thinking of, and shook his head. "No, it's free, Garcia. I never expected to see you here."

"Hey, you're not the only one to have a thing for foreign films, my sweet genius." She sank down into the seat next to him before slipping off her coat and settling it over her legs. "And I thought I kept my office cold! It is freezing in here!"

"Probably a result from the polar vortex."

She rolled her eyes at him as she snatched a few pieces of popcorn from his bucket. "As if I didn't realize that. I am still cold. And I have no one to keep me warm," she murmured, and he wondered if she had meant to say that aloud. Taking a moment to really look at her, he saw that her eyes were sad, as if she was fighting some battle that she couldn't tell anyone about.

Instinctively, he reached out and clasped her hand, threading their fingers together. "You know, I am considered a good listener…"

She sighed a little as she bobbled her head back and forth. "I am talking about it to someone. She's been a really great ear for me, especially since this situation is so messy. I don't want to drag you into something like this, not when it involves half our team, and we don't even realize it."

He was confused by her words, realizing that he was part of the team that was not involved in whatever mess she thought was so overwhelming. "Are you thinking about breaking up with Sam?" She shrugged a little. "Do you have feelings for someone on the team?" She shook her head furiously, and from that gesture, he knew that she was lying to him. "Well, I know you don't have a crush on me, despite your showing up here, so that narrows it down to three people, unless you're…"

"There's nothing to discuss, and the movie is about to start. I suggest we focus on that," she pertly interrupted, facing straight ahead, her cheeks crimson with embarrassment. He nodded and looked to the screen. After a few minutes, Garcia surprised him by sliding up the armrest between them and leaning over. He knew what she was asking, and so lifted his arm, letting her head come to rest on his shoulder.

As the movie played on, he began to do a running translation for her, knowing that her Korean probably wasn't the strongest, when compared to her Japanese. By the time the credits rolled, she was sleeping sweetly on him, and he let her be as the next movie played. If she was that tired, he wasn't about to wake her up.

By the end of the third movie, she had curled up into him, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist, her face buried in the fabric of his shirt. The house lights came up, and Reid waited until everyone had filed from the room before shaking Garcia's shoulder gently. "It's time to wake up now, Garcia," he said lowly.

She stirred a little before opening her eyes and looking up at him in confusion. "Are the movies over already? Did I miss them all?" she said as she stretched.

"I'm afraid so. I thought you should get the sleep, though." She nodded a little and stood, holding out her hand to him. He clasped it and stood, letting her lead him from the theater. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about things?"

"I am involved in a love octagon, and it sucks. My best friend is barely speaking to me as a result, and I want nothing more than to figure out just who my heart wants the most. I am so confused right now, you have no idea."

He nodded in sympathy as they walked out to their cars. "You'll know when the time is right, I'm sure. Just like I knew that Maeve was the one. The heart is amazing like that."

Penelope nodded before hugging him tightly. "Somehow, you always know the right words to say, my sweet genius. Thank you!" She pressed her lips softly to his cheek before going over to her car and driving away. Reid watched after her, feeling like he should know the players of this love octagon of hers, and what role Jayje played in the drama. He supposed that time would tell, and he would find out all in the end.


	24. Section Chief Cruz

"Come to bed, Matteo."

He shook his head, never looking up from his phone. JJ had tried to call earlier, but when he had answered, there had been no one there. Figuring that Henry had interrupted her for some reason, he had hung up. And now, three hours later, he was still awaiting a return call from her. "I'm going to wait for her to call back."

"Jennifer?" his wife asked as she wrapped her arm around his waist, her chin coming to rest on his shoulder. He nodded and sighed, willing the phone to ring once more. While he was almost certain that it was nothing, there was a tiny, niggling, doubt in the back of his mind that whispered that she could be in danger. "She can take care of her own, if there's trouble. Remember how she took down Madam X?"

"Yes. I'm still concerned."

"You wouldn't be a good supervisor if you weren't, honey." She kissed his cheek lightly. "What is the absolute worst thing that could happen to her?"

Matteo shuddered as his brain immediately went to a thousand different ways a person could be tortured, could be broken, without being killed. "I won't fill your brain with the horrors I know of, Sara. I signed on for that Hell, there's no reason for you to pay as well." Turning his head, he kissed her lips gently before pushing her away from him. "I'm going to go take a shower. Will you wait for her call?"

"Of course, _Tesoro_." She picked up his phone and drifted back over to the bed, climbing in and setting the phone on the nightstand next to her. He gave her a small smile as she picked up the latest book she was reading and then made his way into the master bath.

"She has to be fine," he muttered as he stripped off his clothes, throwing them in the hamper. Stepping into the shower, he let the hot water stream down over him, losing his mind in thought. Their assignment was coming back to bite both of them, he knew, and that made him worry about JJ all the more.

Their trip out to visit Aaron had been a time fraught with tension, given that Erin had insisted she come along. That was before anyone had really known about her problem, though he had had his suspicions, based on how anxious she had been throughout the entire trip. Aaron had been the only one who could calm her in any capacity, and that was why he had been so surprised to find out that it was David and Erin who were the couple in love on Alpha team.

Shaking his head, he quickly washed his hair and body before turning the water off and drying himself with the fluffy towels that his wife so loved. With one towel still wrapped around his waist, he padded out into the bedroom and quickly changed into a pair of pajama bottoms. "Anything?" he asked anxiously as he crawled in next to his wife.

"No. But call her in the morning, just to allay your fears. I'm sure it was just her having to deal with her child. He's what? Four, five? At that age, our children were getting into such mischief. Besides, she'll probably be the one to call you in the morning."

Sara leaned over and pecked his cheek once more before delving back into her book. He knew that it must be a good story, in order to have her so engrossed, so he silently reached his hand out, smiling when she dropped his phone into it.

Matt quickly scrolled through his emails, a small flicker of anxiety flickering in his breast when he didn't see the email he had half expected to be there. Frowning a little, he read through his work email and replied to the query from Sam's team. Then, he logged into his personal email, again disappointed to see that there was no email from JJ. There was an email from Erin, though, and he touched it, reading about her new plans for, in her terms (though he was certain there was a fair amount of Penelope in there, too), the epic Blake anniversary weekend extravaganza.

"Blake is either going to love or hate Erin soon."

"Why, Matteo?"

"This weekend away for their anniversary is turning into a full on spectacle. I suspect that Penelope is helping out with the plans, which means that a production is in order."

"Penelope's the computer tech, right? The one who fills the office with light and love?" He nodded. "Then it doesn't surprise me that she wants this to be a party. She's probably good at planning events for the people she loves."

He nodded again before responding to Erin, telling her to have fun. Setting the phone on the charger, he turned onto his side and watched his wife read. There was something so soothing about the way she lost herself in the words that he soon found himself asleep, thoughts of JJ, Alex, and Erin, dancing around in his head.


	25. Rossi, Hotch

Dave leaned back in his chair as he sipped from his glass of bourbon. Looking over, he saw that Hotch was staring into his glass of whiskey, and he knew that he had to needle the man for more information. 'So, what has you more pensive than normal this evening?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm in a bit of a conundrum. Do you think that Penelope has been acting weird around me?"

He paused for a moment, sloshing the amber liquid around in his glass as he thought for the words to answer Aaron's question. "I have noticed that there is a little bit of tension between the two of you, ever since that case out in California. Then again, I have also noticed that there's tension between her and Jen, as well. What's going on?"

Aaron narrowed his eyes, and he wondered if he had tipped his hand a little too far. "I'm not too sure what there would be between Jayje and Penelope. I, that is, I may have been a little unprofessional when it comes to Penelope. We kissed."

"Is that all? I was going to ask if maybe you two had slept together and were trying to find a way to act normal in the office and failing miserably." Aaron choked on his sip of whiskey, and shook his head. "It's not like she isn't a beautiful woman."

"And you can't keep your eyes off a blonde, can you?" Dave shrugged a little. "What, are you considering going for Penelope, if I don't?"

There was a slightly territorial tone to his voice, and Dave chuckled, mentally ticking a point for Erin. "No, Aaron, I have my Rosie." The man looked at him closely, his eyes narrowing once more. "And I do not mean my hand."

"My mind did not go there until you mentioned it, Dave. Really? Isn't that a little crude?" He shrugged, smirking a little as he took a sip of bourbon. "So, who is she?"

"A blonde. And that's all I'll tell you until she's ready to meet the rest of you."

"Wait, what?"

Dave gulped and set his glass aside, his mind frantically trying to come up with an excuse for his best friend, something that would placate him. "Penelope's met her. And she has the Penelope seal of approval."

Aaron nodded and finished his glass. "Everything comes back to Penelope, doesn't it?" He sighed a little. "I'm thinking about breaking things off with Beth. Or at least asking her to take a break in our relationship. I love her, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with her any longer."

"One little kiss was enough to cause you to rethink your relationship with Beth?" Aaron nodded slightly. "That must have been some kiss."

"Well, it was just a friendly little peck, to be honest. The problem is, I just haven't been able to take my mind off of it. If I were really in love with Beth, I don't think that I would be dwelling on this so."

Dave nodded and picked up his glass, finishing the liquor before stroking his thumb along the lip of it. "You have to decide where your heart lies. Is it with Beth? Or is it with another woman?"

Aaron looked so hangdog, and it was then that Dave knew that he had finally bet on the dark horse in a race. JJ, if she really wanted to be with Aaron, would need to put herself out there and make him notice her, especially since it seemed like all his attention was being drawn to Penelope. "I think that my heart knows that, Dave. I just don't know which direction to head in at the moment. Penelope has always been such a good friend, she's always been there for all of us."

"Kind of like Jen," he butted in, intent on bringing her to the forefront, hoping that a mention of her would get his mind thinking about the woman. Aaron shrugged a little before nodding. "What?"

"Jayje and I are good friends, but it's different from what I might feel for Penelope. I don't know how to explain it, it just is." He sighed deeply and finished his whiskey. "And what I feel for Beth is much different as well."

"As it should be. Each person in our lives fills a different spot in our heart." Shaking his head, he stood. "I should probably get going. Tabitha wants me to help her with her paper tomorrow after Mass, and I can only imagine that it will be me doing the actual writing."

Aaron looked at him in surprise as he stood as well, throwing a few twenties on the table for their waitress. "You're still in touch with Erin's children?"

"Yeah. They're the children I never got to have. And Tabitha is really a sweet girl, even if she is flightier than my Kitten is."

"Really? I find it hard to believe that any child of Erin's would be flighty."

"So did I," he replied as he pulled on his coat. "But Tabitha reminds me so of Erin, in the little ways. I can see Erin acting like that when she was young and unrestrained by the stiffness of bureaucracy." He smiled a little, wishing he could tell Hotch that the Erin he was loving now was so much like her youngest daughter – mischievous, sweet, spontaneous. There would come a time for that, though, he knew, he just hoped that it would be soon.


	26. Morgan, Reid

Derek groaned as he woke up, his body feeling like it had been hit by a truck. While he hadn't been out drinking, he still felt exhausted and achy. He desperately hoped that he wasn't getting ill, but it certainly felt like it. Sitting up, he padded over to the bathroom and shucked off his boxers before getting in the shower and using the warmth of the water to help him feel better.

He let the water run col before he turned it off and then stood in the steam of it, breathing in and out deeply. The shower had helped to perk him up and he smiled as stepped out and toweled off. Derek could hear Clooney whining at the closed door, and he wrapped a towel around his waist as he traipsed back to his bedroom, his dog close at his heels.

After changing into fresh boxers and sweatpants, he layered on a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, and then a sweatshirt before tugging on socks and boots. "Are you ready to go for a run, boy?" he asked as he patted his dog's head. Clooney wagged his tail eagerly and Derek jogged out to his living room, grabbing the leash off its hook and attaching it to the collar before slipping into his coat and tugging on gloves before taking his dog out for a run.

By the time he had returned, he found Reid standing outside on his stoop, a sad look on his face. "Hey," he said softly, reaching out to pet Clooney. The dog relished the attention, jumping up and putting his paws on the younger man's chest. "Do you have time to talk?"

Derek nodded and let them in, climbing the stairs up to his apartment. By the time that they were inside his living room, Reid was shivering, and he jogged over to his bedroom, pulling out a heavy sweater for him to wear. "So, what's up?"

"JJ's lying to me. Again. Do you think that it's possible Strauss survived her ordeal? I mean, it makes sense that she would lie to us about that, since she already did once before."

"Kid, there is no way that Erin survived what happened to her. I was there, I saw her lifeless body in Hotch's arms." Shaking his head, he sank onto the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table. "But I do know that JJ is keeping something from us. She's been acting weird around Penelope for about two weeks. Maybe she just wants to keep that private."

"Perhaps. But I can't help but feel like there's something more to the situation than just a quarrel between friends." Reid stared at his hands, which were clasped in his lap. "I hate when people lie to me. Everyone feels like they need to protect me, like I can't handle the truth. I feel like no one wants to include me, unless they need me for my intellect."

Derek had never heard him talk like that, and he sighed a little before reaching out and squeezing Reid's shoulder. "I hope I've never made you feel like that," he said lowly.

"No. You've always been my friend, and I've appreciated that more than I can ever say. I don't think that you've ever lied to me."

"I try not to lie to any of my friends." Reid's phone went off, and he watched the younger man pull it out, looking at the display. "Who is it?"

"Oh, it's just a Words With Friends notification. I'm playing a game with someone I've never met, but who feels really familiar to me. We've been talking back and forth a little bit."

"Huh. What's her name?"

"Well, her screen name is bosslady1. Her real name is Rose."

This made Derek start, since he knew that Penelope had a new friend named Rose as well. It was an unusual enough name that he wondered if they were the same person. "Huh, I think Baby Girl has mentioned that name quite frequently in the past few weeks. Any way they could be…?"

"That is a statistical anomaly, Derek. Our minds are wired to look for patterns and connections, and the fact that there are two Roses in your life is one such pattern. I'm certain that they are two different people."

He buried his head in his phone, and Derek chuckled. "You're asking her, aren't you?"

Reid shrugged, a slight blushing darkening his cheeks. "Maybe. I have to play, too." He went back to concentrating on the screen, soon tapping away before slipping the phone back into his pocket. "I'm sure I'll be told that you are wrong, you know."

"We'll see." They fell into a friendly silence and he marveled at how comfortable it was to be quiet. It seemed like when he was with Penelope lately, there was too much noise between the two of them, even in silence, and he found himself on edge. Which was ridiculous, considering how close they were. Maybe there was something in the water, something that was putting them all on edge.

Reid's phone went off once more, and he tugged it out, looking at the display. "I got a message from her." He fiddled around with the phone, and then glanced at Derek. "I really hate you sometimes."

"They are the same person?" He nodded. "Well, why don't you ask her to lunch, then? See if she's free?"

"She's married, Derek."

"Oh. Well, you can still go to lunch with friends, can't you?" Reid shrugged. "Come on, it doesn't hurt to ask. And we could all use some friends at the moment."

"You're right about that. Though, I think that I'll keep Rose to internet friends at the moment. That way, I won't know if she's lying to me or not." Derek just sighed and slung his arm around his friend's shoulders, not knowing how else to comfort him in that moment.


	27. Reid, Blake, Strauss

Reid couldn't get his conversation with Morgan out of his head, and so he decided to turn to the only person that he knew that could count on at the moment. Tugging out his phone once more, he dialed Blake's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey Reid, what's up?" she asked a bit breathlessly, and he wondered what he interrupted by calling her.

"I was just wondering if I could come by and talk for a little bit. I need a sounding board, and, well, I trust you."

"Of course! I'll see you in a little while." Before she hung up, he thought he heard a familiar feminine voice in the background, and he wondered who was over there with her.

Sighing a little, he tightened his coat around him, and climbed into his car, talking the long drive to Blake's house at a sedate pace as he tried to work through what was bothering him about JJ. His mind still seemed to swirl with thoughts of betrayal and lies, and he knew that even if she was keeping something little from him, that he would conflate it into something much larger, given their previous history.

There was an unfamiliar car in the drive when he got to Blake's house, and he wrinkled his nose a little at the thought of interrupting her day. But then she was there, opening the door and beckoning him inside. "Spencer, is everything okay?"

"I don't know. But, it looks like you have company, I can just come back later. I don't…"

"No, she's fine with you being here. Besides, I think that she needs to talk to you, too." He frowned deeply, and she gave him a sad smile. "I talked to Morgan after I got off the phone with you. And I realized that we had to come clean with you before this was dragged out any longer. I only hope that you can forgive us for keeping this from you."

"Blake, what are you talking about?" he asked as he stepped over the threshold and into her house. She just closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring a little. Those little cues told him that she anticipated him being very angry at her, and he started to take deep breaths in anticipation of what was going to be revealed.

"I'm going to let you meet Rose, my sweet Rosie." Reaching out, she took hold of his arm and led him into the living room. There, on the sofa, sat a blonde woman whose very presence seemed so familiar to him. And then she turned her face slightly and he gasped in shock.

"Erin?" he asked as he tugged his hand away from Blake's and closed the small distance between them, sinking onto the sofa next to her. "What?"

"If you are going to be angry with anyone, Doctor Reid, be angry with me. I wasn't going to be alive to anyone besides my David, but then, Penny barged in on us, and Lexie figured out who I was thanks to her linguistic skills, and Aaron found me at Mass. When Derek mentioned that you might not take things well, I knew that I had to tell you. I know how much it hurt you when Emily revealed her own return from death."

He nodded dumbly before reaching out and touching her shoulder. She was warm and present and for some unknown reason he couldn't call up any anger towards her or any of the others. Instead, to his mortification, he began to cry and she was there, folding her arms around him, holding him as he cried. There was something so soothing about her embrace and he let go of all the bitterness that he had been harboring about JJ. "She's lying to me, and it's not about you!" he finally exclaimed.

"I see." She pulled away and stroked his hair lightly, meeting his gaze steadily. "Why would you think that she's lying to you?"

"I know that there's tension between her and Will, her and Garcia, her and Hotch. But she won't confide in any of us. She's been pulling away, from all of us, ever since Cruz was chosen as our new Section Chief."

Erin cupped his cheek, smiling gently at him. "Matteo Cruz is a good man. He protected me, twice, and I will be ever grateful to him for that. And sometimes, we have secrets that we have to keep. They eat at us, they mock us, but still, we cannot voice them. When she is able to, I know that Jennifer will tell you everything. All right?"

Reid nodded a little before reaching up and taking hold of her hand and threading their fingers together. "I don't know why I don't hate you. Why I'm not furious that you did this to us. But, John would have kept coming after you, and then we didn't know right away if those were his bones in the rubble, and…" His voice trailed off and she nodded. In that moment, he recognized that she was crying as well, using her free hand to flick away her tears. "Welcome home?"

"Thank you. It's getting easier to be home, as the days pass. As I learn that I don't always have to look over my shoulder, that the shadows aren't hiding a madman intent on murdering me. I fought him," she whispered, looking away from him to stare at their clasped hands. "I didn't want to drink."

"I know. That's the worst. They force you to do things that you don't want." He was thinking of Hankel, and everything that man had put him through, and he closed his arm around her, offering her the comfort this time. They were both marked in the same manner now, and he knew that this would bind them together.


	28. Blake, James Blake, Reid, Strauss

Alex found herself tired upon waking, and she was grateful that they had a few days off from work. There weren't that many pressing cases, for once, and she was looking forward to relaxing and catching up on some much needed sleep.

Rolling over, she found that James was still home and she snuggled in close to him, resting her head on his chest and listening to the strong beat of his heart. She could tell the exact moment he came to wakefulness, as his arms lifted a little, enclosing her in a tight embrace. "Mmm, good morning, Lexie." He bent his head and covered her lips in a tender kiss. "What time did you finally come up to bed?"

"About midnight. It took forever for Erin and me to convince Reid to stay the night. He was curled up on the sofa when I left, since he wouldn't let Erin give up the guest bedroom." She smiled sweetly before kissing him once more, welcoming the feel of his hand slipping down her side and cupping her ass, massaging it forcefully. "I would love to finish this, Jamie, but we have guests and I would not want them to overhear anything."

He nodded and let go of her, though he did lean in and steal another kiss from her. "I suppose. Maybe we should fix breakfast and then kick them out. I haven't felt you in my arms for far too long."

Alex blushed a little as she clambered out of bed, stretching and reaching up for the ceiling. "That does sound most wonderful, Jamie." Padding over to the dresser, she pulled out fresh panties and a bra, stripping quickly and pulling them on. Then she tugged out a pair of skin tight black jeans and an oversized sweater. "I'll meet you downstairs."

James nodded and got out of bed, and it took everything in her not to come back to his side and let him finish what he had started this morning. Turning on her heel, she scurried from the room, only to smell the scent of bacon frying. Her smile widened as took the stairs as quickly as she could, bursting into the kitchen and finding Erin and Spencer standing in front of the stove, Erin holding on to a spatula as they talked quietly.

"Good morning!" she called out, going over the to the fridge and pulling out the bottle of orange juice. Spencer handed her a glass, and she filled it before taking a sip.

"Good morning, Lexie. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded before leaning against the counter. "I always seem to sleep better when I'm next to Jamie. Was the sofa comfortable, Spencer? I know that I have spent a few nights there, exhaustion taking over before I could trudge up to bed."

He nodded a little before holding out a plate to Erin. She piled the cooked bacon onto it before stretching out some more strips and starting to fry them up. "Is there anything else you'd like for breakfast, Lexie? Bacon sounded good to both of us, but…"

"I'll scramble up some eggs. Cheese and ham in them sound good?" They both nodded and she went over to the fridge, quickly gathering together the necessary ingredients and setting them on the counter before pulling out a large mixing bowl and cracking all dozen eggs that remained in the carton, adding the shredded cheddar and then cubing the ham and tossing it into the bowl. After mixing it all together, she then pulled out another pan and turned on the burner next to Erin, pouring the concoction inside and then pulling out another spatula to stir it with.

"Is there anything I can do?" James asked as he stepped into the room, ruffling his hair with his hand.

"Set the table for us, please, honey," Alex replied absently, concentrating on making certain that the eggs weren't burning.

By the time they were finished cooking, James and Spencer were in a deep conversation about trauma and its effect on people. Erin shook her head a little as she took a seat next to Alex. While James was still deep in his explanation, she reached out for Erin's hand, and the woman smiled gently at her. "You're praying again?"

"Penelope got me back into the habit. It just feels right."

"It does." Erin bowed her head and recited a quick prayer before squeezing Alex's hand softly and releasing it. "So, the only people left to tell now are Derek, Jennifer, and Emily. And I dread telling them the truth."

"I don't think that it will be quite as difficult as you imagine, Erin." They both looked up at Spencer, and Alex smiled at him. "JJ knows all about keeping secrets, so she shouldn't begrudge you doing so. And Morgan, well, he'll be happy, I'm almost certain of it, once he gets over the shock. And with Emily, this gives you two something in common."

Erin nodded a little before tucking into her food, seeming to need the distance that put between them all. Spencer shrugged a little before returning to his conversation with her husband, and Alex took a deep breath, content to just sit and be with the people who were fast becoming her family.


	29. Jessica, Jack, Hotch

"A snow day? Today?" Jessica asked as she tried to wake up from her deep sleep.

"Yes," Aaron replied, sounding just as tired. "And I wouldn't call, but I need to stop into the office today and pick up some more files to review. Would you mind coming over and watching him for a few hours? I have no idea how long it will take me to get into the office, but I only need to be there for about half an hour."

"Sure, that's no problem," she replied, yawning widely. "All right, give me an hour and I'll be there."

"Thank you." He sounded so relieved, and she smiled gently as she slipped out of bed and padded over to her closet, pulling out a pair of khaki pants, a long sleeved shirt, and a warm sweater.

"You are most welcome," she said before hanging up and going to her dresser, pulling out fresh underclothes. Hurriedly, she dressed and then took off for Aaron's apartment. Thankfully, there was a Starbucks along the way, and she ordered her usual, but with an added shot of espresso, knowing she would need it after a late night writing, and then an early morning wake up. Blinking blearily, she sipped at the brew before setting it in the cup holder.

The roads were not the best, and so it took a little longer to get to Aaron's then she had planned on. He was in his coat already, smiling at her as she entered. "Jack's still asleep," he said before kissing her cheek softly.

"All right, that just gives me more time to write." She hugged him tightly before shooing him out the door. "Bring lunch home with you, and I'll just hang out here for the entire day. You'll probably need me to corral Jack in the afternoon, so that you can finish your files."

He nodded appreciatively, and she gently closed the door and locked it. Almost on autopilot, she made her way to the living room and set up her laptop, plugging it in before plopping onto the sofa and booting it up.

She had left off in the middle of the fourth task, and the building tension made it hard for her to write in large swathes. Of course, she knew that everything would end happily, but there was still the feel, in the moment, of impending doom.

"Aunt Jessica? Where's Daddy?" Jack asked sleepily as he stumbled into the living room, cuddling up close to her.

"He had to go into work for a few hours. You have a snow day today, you can go back to sleep."

He shook his head and let his head thump against her chest. "No. I want to spend time with you. Have you heard anything about Ms. Jareau?"

She stiffened slightly, not knowing what was going on with the rest of the team. "I'm not sure. Should I have heard anything?"

He shrugged a little, and she wondered if something had happened and she hadn't been told. "Daddy mentioned that he hadn't heard from her in a few days. Chief Cruz told him that everything was okay, she was just working through some things, but he didn't sound very convincing over the phone. Daddy seemed to buy it, though."

"Maybe because he was telling the truth."

"Maybe." Jack sounded skeptical of her words and she slung her arm around him, leaning down to kiss his head. "Could we play a game?"

"Sure. What do you want to play?"

He shrugged again. "Scrabble?" Jack asked, almost sounding like he was afraid she would turn him down flat. Jessica made certain to smile widely at him as she nodded and he scrambled off the sofa and over to the bookcase, pulling out the box and setting it up on the coffee table.

Jessica saved her document and powered down the computer, setting it aside before sitting on the floor, arranging her tiles. "The person with the highest letter value goes first," she said, even though she didn't have anything larger than four points.

Her nephew gave her a toothy grin as he triumphantly held up his tile. "I have the zed! Yes!"

"Zed? Where did you pick that up from?" she tenderly teased.

"We have a new girl, she transferred from New Brunswick. She was spelling something the other day and used it, and some of the kids made fun of her. So, I started to do it, too. It's not nice to pick on people, just because they do things a little differently."

"You're right, it's not. I'm glad that you decided to do the right thing and stick up for her. Plus, when you say it like that, it makes you sound very educated." She reached out and tweaked his nose before beginning to arrange her tiles in the best possible configuration. "I'm so glad that you're turning out to be so much like your father. It's part of why I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Aunt Jessica. I wish you could stay with us all the time."

She sighed deeply and nodded a little. "There are times I wish that, too, buddy. But there are some things that just can't be. Okay?" He nodded and they set about playing, Jessica finding her mind a thousand miles away, thinking about Aaron and a future that could never be.


	30. JJ

JJ woke up feeling achy all over. She had yet to figure out where she was, or who had taken her, but she knew that she was being kept in the basement, since she was so cold and the air was so damp. She also knew that the weather outside was cold, much colder than it had been in years, and she struggled not to shiver.

Fumbling to her feet, she limped over to the place where her captor placed her food every day. Or at least, she assumed it was once a day. There was no way to tell time where she was, with no clock, no cellphone, no windows. It was a drain, to be alone, to not know what was happening around her, and she could only imagine that everyone was frantically looking for her, hoping that some clue would turn up that would lead them to her.

Picking up the bread and jam, she ate quickly, washing it down with the provided water before heading back over to the nest she had made of the blankets that had been left down in her prison. Sinking to her knees, she covered her body with one of them, pulling it tight around her body. Closing her eyes, she pictured her son, seeing him smile at her in her mind's eye as he told her about his day at school, about something his friends and he had done. Rocking back and forth, she tried to stay positive, to think about the time when she would be free once more and would be able to hold her baby in her arms once more.

And strangely enough, she found herself missing Will and Penelope the most. She knew that she had left things on bad terms with both of them, and she regretted every harsh and mean thought she had had in regards to her best friend. Her best friend who had insisted that the kiss between her and Hotch had been purely friendly. That she had feelings for Sam, and maybe Derek. And Will, who wanted to work things out, who wanted to be with her more than anything.

Sighing, she wiped away the tears that had started to slip down her cheeks. "This is some fine kettle of fish you've gotten yourself in, Jareau," she muttered. "They probably think that you just want some time to be alone, to not be around them. Who would want to come looking for someone who's been a complete bitch to them the last few weeks?"

Another deep sigh tore from her lips and she shivered a little, pulling the blanket closer around her. JJ felt like she was wasting away, like she would die alone, just as Strauss had feared she would. Aaron had told her of the woman's dying words, how he had held her and comforted her in her final moments, and she began to weep anew at the thought of not being able to tell her Henry goodbye. She had always assumed that they would all have the opportunity to be with their loved ones at the end. Even though that was the farthest thing from the truth in real life. Strauss's death had finally driven that point home to her – that they were all human, they were all weak, they might all die far from home.

"Snap out of it, Jareau. You are not going to fall victim to a pity party, which is exactly what is happening here. You need to stay strong and find a weakness to this unsub. That is the only way you can kick ass and get home. Now, who would do this to you?"

JJ tapped her finger against her lips, trying to come up with someone that would have an outstanding grudge. "I'm not Strauss, I haven't made any enemies. Everyone likes me." Shaking her head, she bit her lip. "No, I can't think of her like that. She was the one who figured out who was stalking us, after all. There had to have been some good about her."

Frustrated, she stood up and began to pace back and forth, measuring out the length and width of her room for the hundredth time. It was square, two hundred paces each way, and the door was in the middle of what she had dubbed wall one. Needing something to do, she pulled out the pen that her kidnapper had left in her pocket and began to draw a picture on wall two. She decided to make it a window, making certain to draw a sunny day and flowers, trying to imbue some little bit of optimism to her prison.

The sound of the door creaking had her head snapping around to look towards it. There wasn't time to cross the room and tackle whoever was on the other side, though she did instinctively reach for what was being thrown at her. A frustrated laugh escaped her lips when she looked at the pad of paper she was now holding. It told her something new about her captor – he was watching her somehow, and she knew that this would be the first chink in his armor. She was getting out of her cell, sooner, rather than later, and she would do it on her own.


	31. Matteo Cruz

"We have your children, Cruz."

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded unreal, like something from a bad movie, but still he felt rooted to the ground with fear. "Excuse me?"

"I think that you heard what we said. They mean nothing to us, you are the one that we want. We will release them to your wife if you do exactly as we say. Leave your cellphone in your office and head to the Kennedy Center. Alone." He nodded and instinctively reached for the desk where he kept his gun. "And leave your gun in that drawer. You'll have no need for it where you're going."

The blood drained from his face as he realized that they were watching him very closely. Matt wondered if this was what Erin had felt like towards the end of her ordeal with Curtis, and he nodded heavily. "I understand. What time do you want me there?"

"It should take you no longer than seventy five minutes to get here. We'll allow you a leeway of ten minutes, just in case there is some traffic. Do not deviate from the main path, we will be watching you. Do not try to call anyone using your On*Star, as we will be monitoring that as well. If you should step one toe out of line, you will never see your children again. Ever."

A shiver travelled up and down his spine. "I understand. Just please, don't hurt them."

"We would never do that. We're not you."

Matt swallowed hard and hung up with the person on the other end of the line, woodenly standing and slipping on his coat. Then he grabbed his keys out of his drawer and headed out to the elevators. Looking into the bullpen, he saw Agent Hotchner there, and he almost waved at him before thinking better of it, instead giving him a subtle nod before stepping into the elevator and riding down to the parking garage.

Pieces started to fall into place as he thought about his conversation with his wife, about how he was worried about JJ, and how she had never returned his call. And now he was being taken. The only common factor between them was their time in the Middle East. Which meant that Erin could be in danger as well, and he had no way of contacting her or letting her know. The moment he stepped off the elevator, he looked around and noticed that no one was around him and he slipped behind a concrete pillar and used his burner phone to quickly text Erin, telling her that she needed to stay low and not go anywhere until the situation was resolved. Then he dropped the phone on the ground and stomped on it until it was obliterated.

The drive into DC was harrowing, as he had to contend with the weather, the traffic, and the feeling of impending doom. Finally, he managed to find a parking spot near the Kennedy Center, and he got out of the car, making his way over to the fountain.

"So good of you to join us, Agent Cruz. I am so glad that you were able to follow directions." He started as he felt the heavy weight of a muzzle press into his side. "Now, let's keep that up, shall we?"

He nodded wordlessly and allowed the man to lead him over to a waiting van. Matteo balked a little as the door slid open, only to jump when the muzzle jabbed at him sharply. "Sorry," he muttered, climbing up. It came as no surprise that as soon as the door was slammed shut, a heavy burlap bag was being forced over his head and his arms were forcefully tied behind his back.

The road to wherever they were going was bumpy, and that, combined with the closeness of the bag over his head, lulled him into a dreamless sleep. The van jolting to a stop startled him awake, and he flailed a bit, only to get knocked around by whoever was with him in the back.

Rough hands dragged him out of the vehicle and into a building. A door slammed shut and Matteo tried to not fight the men who were holding on to his arms. He was led to another door and the next steps he took had him flailing about, looking for balance once more.

"Oh, yeah, we're heading down some stairs," one of his captors said. "You might want to watch out. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

The derision in the man's voice were Matteo's first clue that what was planned for him would not be pleasant, nor would he likely survive. Carefully, though, he made his way down the stairs until he came to flat ground once more. He was yanked over to the left and then he felt his arms being released for a moment, only to be tied around a post.

The hood was yanked off his head, and he got his first good look at his captors. The stone in the pit of his stomach grew to boulder size as he took in the faces of the three men. The very fact that they weren't concealing their identity told him everything he needed to know. He would never leave this room alive, ever again.


	32. Strauss, Blake, Jack, Jessica

Erin felt the blood drain from her face as she looked at the text message she had just received. Thankfully, she was seated, as she felt like she would have collapsed to the floor if she wasn't. Alex looked up from her book and frowned a little. "What's wrong, Erin?"

"We need to get the team assembled. I think we have a problem. No, I know we have a problem." She rubbed her stomach absently, trying to ease away the churning that had suddenly sprung up. "You'll have to have them come here. I can't be seen outside. We should have been more careful…"

Her voice trailed off as hysteria began to overtake her thoughts. In a heartbeat, it seemed, Alex was at her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her close to her side. "Whatever is the matter, Erin? Why are you so suddenly spooked?"

"It was a code word classified operation. No one was supposed to know what we were doing," she mumbled, letting her head come to rest on Alex's chest. "No one was supposed to find out we were involved. And now Aaron could be at risk, too. Oh God, what have we done?"

She began to feel Alex's fingers drag through her hair, trying to calm her, and Erin began to take deep breaths, trying to relax herself. "All right, I'll call Hotch and Dave, they'll contact the others. Are you sure that we should do this here? Penelope has access to her computers at the office."

"I suppose that's true. Have Aaron send Jack and Jessica over. We can protect them here."

"She doesn't know about you, though."

"It's the only way. Please, Alex, I couldn't bear if something else happened to Aaron."

The woman nodded and pulled out her cellphone, quickly calling the men. "All right, it shouldn't take me more than twenty minutes to get back to the office. I'll tell her, Hotch. I understand."

After she had hung up, Erin pulled away so that she could look into her friend's eyes. "Well?"

"He's sending them over, but he's expecting you to tell them why you aren't dead. And why they need to hide out at Dave's house. He said that you would know exactly what to say and what not to say."

She nodded and let Alex help her to her feet. And then, the woman pulled her into a tight hug, letting Erin just be for a moment. "Go. I'll think of something before they get here. Give David my love, will you?"

Alex nodded before picking up her things and quickly leaving the room. Erin sank back down onto the sofa and hugged herself tightly as she tried to think of the right words to tell a very young boy that she was still alive. And words to tell his aunt that she was the one she had been playing Words With Friends with for the last week or so. She wished that there was an easier way to do this, but there really wasn't.

The time seemed to pass so slowly, but finally there was a knocking on the front door and she got up and stumbled over to it, taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. Slowly, she opened the door, staring at the ground as her carefully planned words turned to ash and dust in her mouth.

And then, Jack was throwing his arms around her waist, holding on to her tightly as he burst into tears. "Why does everyone come back but Mommy?"

Still, Erin was at a loss for words and she looked up into Jessica's eyes. The swirl of emotions there did little to help her out, and so she wordlessly led them inside, never taking her hand off Jack's back. "Why don't we go into the living room?" Jessica asked quietly, her hand coming to rest on Erin's upper arm. Her fingers dug painfully into the flesh of her arm and she winced, knowing in that moment that this would be the more difficult of the reunions she'd had so far.

Sinking once more into her spot on the sofa, she let Jack crawl up into her lap, his fingers worrying a wrinkle of her sweater between his fingers. "I wish I had an answer for you, Jack," she finally whispered, letting her fingers run through his hair. "I wish that I could bring your Mommy back to you. I can't, but I do owe you an explanation."

"That would be nice."

The hostility in Jessica's voice caused her to shiver a little, pulling Jack more tightly to her. "After John Curtis tried to kill me, I had to be in the hospital for a long time. When they let me out, David swept me into hiding, saying that to everyone believed I was dead. It was nice to be dead, for a little while. I could heal my heart, which was badly in need of rest. But I know now, that I was wise to not announce my return to the living."

"And why is that?" Jessica bit out, and she looked up at her, trying not to flinch as she took in the anger set on her face.

"Because Agent Jareau and Chief Cruz are now missing, presumed kidnapped, and it is all related to a mission we were on when we visited Aaron in the Middle East. If I had gone public with my miracle, I could have been in danger once more. As it is, you two are in danger as well, which is why I had Aaron send you here. I know you can't forgive me for my lie…"

"I do, Aunt Erin." Jack's quiet words were all it took to make her cry once more, and she closed her eyes, letting the tears fall. "You were protecting your family. Daddy does that all the time, because he loves me and Aunt Jessica. Can I meet your kids?"

She let out a watery laugh, daring to look up into Jessica's eyes once more. There was a faint flicker of kindness there and it helped to settle her soul as she nodded. "Yes, yes, you may. They'll be here tonight for supper. Do you want to help me make something?" He nodded enthusiastically, and they got up, Jessica trailing after them as went into the kitchen.


	33. Jessica, Jack, Erin

Jessica tried to stay angry at Erin for deceiving them so, but she found as she watched Jack and her interact, she couldn't. There was such sweetness in their interactions, like Erin had been missing this in her life. Sighing deeply, she took a seat on one of the bar stools that surrounded the island in the middle of the kitchen and just listened.

"So, you really want to make lasagna, Jack?"

He nodded and went over to the fridge, pulling open the door. "Yes. It looks like you have everything in here to make it, too."

Erin laughed gently at his assessment, and Jessica found herself giggling as well. Their eyes met, and Erin looked away quickly, blushing a bit as she moved to help Jack gather the ingredients. "Here, let me help, too," she said, slipping off the stool and going over to them. "Where are your pans?"

"In the cupboard next to the sink," Erin off-handedly replied, her arms filled. Jack looked around her and gave her a wide grin. It was then that she realized how hard it was to stay angry at someone who was so loved. Jessica nodded and rummaged around in the cupboard until she had found the right sized pans for their needs.

Her phone ringing shattered the jollity of the room, and she tugged it out, looking at the display. "It's Aaron," she murmured before answering. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jess. How are things going?"

"How long did you know that she was alive?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

"Just a few weeks. I discovered it when I went to Mass that one Sunday. I was just as shocked as you."

"I see. What do you need?"

He let out a deep breath. "Emily is coming in to join us on this one. It seems like it's connected with our undercover mission in the Middle East. I never imagined that this would come back on us like this. I'm going to be spending a lot of time at the office, don't expect us home anytime soon."

"All right. What should I do about Jack and school?"

"He's going to have to stay home, unfortunately. Dave and Erin should have enough to keep him occupied until this is all over. Look, I have to go now, things are coming together a little right now, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Tell Jack I love him."

"Will do." He hung up before she could say anything else, and she blinked back tears. Turning to Jack, she smiled at him and he came over to her side. "Looks like we're here for the next few days, Jackers. What should we do about that?"

"Play games?"

"Well, yes, Jack. We can do that. David's X-Box should get some use while he's busy on this case. And you can read any of our books, or watch television. I'm sure that you can find something interesting on Netflix." Erin looked at Jessica, giving her a timid smile. "Is there anything that you'll need while you're here?"

"I think I brought everything, Erin. But thank you." She nodded and bent back over the food. It was then that Jessica knew she was close to tears. She stepped up to her side and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder. "I'm sure that he'll give you a call just as soon as he's free. You know how busy they get."

Erin nodded a little, resting her cheek against the back of Jessica's hand. "I do. I just hate that this is yet another time that David is going into the fire because of me."

Jessica felt tears wet her skin and she let her hand travel down Erin's arm to clasp her hand. "He does it out of love, Erin. They all do it out of love."

The older woman looked up at her, her smile trembling a little. "What if this is the time that I don't see him come back to me? What if he gets hurt because of me?"

"He'll be fine," she replied, tugging Erin into a tight hug. It was then that the dam burst on her tears and she sobbed into Jessica's chest. Jack looked at them quizzically before rushing over and throwing his arms around Erin as well. "I know I can't promise you that, Erin, but I fee it in my bones."

"I pray that you're right," she whispered in response, her fingers tapping out a drumbeat on Jessica's back. "He hasn't been doing the best at all, you know. There are issues that he won't talk about with the others, he gets tired a lot easier. I don't want my forever to last only a few more months. I am so selfish."

"No, you're not, Erin." The last bits of anger slipped away as she held onto the woman, feeling her sorrow and guilt pour out of her body as she continued to cry. "We all want to spend time with the ones that we love."

There came a small nod from Erin and then she was pulling away to look at Jessica. The tears made her eyes look stormy grey and she reached up to tenderly brush a few of the drops away. "I'm sorry. I used to be stronger than this."

"True strength comes from being able to let go and be emotionally honest with people." Jack nodded his agreement and reached his hand up. Erin clasped it and he smiled at her.

"I really am glad that you're alive, Aunt Erin. I just wish that…"

"I know. I wish my own mother was still alive. I really would love to talk to her again, to hug her again. I miss her, just like you miss your mother." He nodded and Erin bent and kissed his forehead gently. "We'll always miss them, Jack, we just need to remember that they're here in our hearts." She rested her hand on his chest before placing her other hand on her own chest. "No one is alone, no one is forgotten, no one is left behind."

"Exactly." Once more, Erin met Jessica's eye, and she smiled at the woman, finding peace descending over her soul. Somehow, she knew that everything would turn out just fine for them.


	34. Seaver, Swann

"Again? Can't they catch a break?"

Ashley looked up from her paperwork as Andi Swann fell silent, listening to the confusion in her supervisor's voice. She wondered what was going on, and bent back over her work, trying to concentrate on what she was doing.

"All right, I'll do anything I can to help out. Thanks."

Ashley jumped a little as Andi forcefully hung up the phone. "What's going on?" she couldn't help but ask as Andi began to stalk past her.

"There's a situation with the BAU. It appears that they've had two of their members kidnapped." She felt the blood drain from her face as she wondered which team had lost two members, sending up a quick prayer for it not to be Alpha. "Agent Hotchner sounded like he was at his wit's end."

Ashley's heart leapt up into her throat as she put the pieces together. "Who's missing from his team, then?" she hoarsely whispered, meeting her supervisor's eye steadily.

"Agent Jareau and Chief Cruz. There's a distinct possibility that this has something to do with an op that went sour in the Middle East, and someone is looking to clean up loose ends. They're bringing in Agent Prentiss once more, since there are international ties to this case."

She nodded, feeling a little crestfallen. Ever since she had transferred to another division, it seemed like her relationships with those in the BAU had ended. She missed talking to them, having them guide her, and even now, it was Emily they turned to first. Emily who had so much more experience than she did. Emily the perfect. Letting out a deep sigh, she looked away from Andi and bent back over her report. "They didn't even ask after me, did they?"

"Ashley, you shouldn't expect to be remembered, they never seem to remember those who were previously attached to their unit." Andi let her hand come to rest on Ashley's shoulder, squeezing softly. "We just try and live in their shadows."

She shook her head. "There has to be something that we can do to help them out!"

"I wish that there was, Ashley." Andi let go of her and moved off to her own office, shutting the door. Slumping in defeat, she pulled out her phone and stared at the display, wondering if she should text Spencer. She had thought that they would be the ones to stay in touch, seeing how close in age they were, but as the months had worn on since her transfer, he'd taken longer and longer to answer her, until all communication had stopped completely.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her text client and tapped out a quick message to him. _I just heard about JJ and Chief Cruz. Is there anything that I can do to help?_

Setting the phone aside, she refocused on her work, plowing through three files before she heard the tell-tale ding that informed her of a new message. Picking up her phone, she saw Spencer's name and the beginning of his message, and smiled a little as she slid open the phone and read his message. _It's really weird, Ash. I mean, with Strauss and Hotch being in danger, too, because of this, and we're bringing in Emily. Too many cooks spoil the broth, and yet I do appreciate the offer of help. Perhaps we could get together for dinner when this is all over. I'm going to need someone to decompress with._

It was a start, and it was something that she would be more than happy to do, since it got her back in touch with him, and perhaps with the whole team. _That would be wonderful, Spencer. Just let me know, okay?_

_Will do, Ashley._

She knew that was likely to be all the contact that she would have from him for a while, since they had to focus on the case in front of them, but it still made her heart a little lighter, having gotten a response from him.

"What did you hear?"

Ashely looked up into Andi's face, feeling a guilty blush stain her cheeks. "They don't need my help. Spencer said that Hotch and Strauss…" As she said the woman's name aloud, she furrowed her brow in confusion. "But, she's dead. Why would she be in danger?"

Andi shrugged a little. "Maybe he typed the wrong name. Stress does weird things to people, you should know that, Ash."

"Maybe." Ashely knew that that was unlikely, Spencer never misspoke, especially when it was about something important. Which could only mean that Strauss had survived her ordeal, and had been in hiding all this time. Another thing that she had been left out of, another thing that she had not been in on. It shouldn't hurt, but it did, and she wondered if she would ever be able to get over the pain of not being included.

"Hey, why don't we run out for a late breakfast, and we can go over this latest case we're working on?" Andi always seemed able to pick up on when she was feeling down, and so it was easy for Ashley to nod and stand, tugging on her coat as she followed the older woman out of their bullpen and into the hall. For the moment, she would take any attention that she received, even as she hoped that she could once more find a place among the golden group, even as she hoped that there would be a place for her once more on the team, even if it did come at great cost. "What sounds good?"

Andi's voice startled her, and she shrugged a little, smiling at her supervisor sweetly. "Whatever's closest," she replied as she pressed the down button on the elevator. She only hoped that Andi would never be able to read her thoughts like Hotch could. She didn't know if she could explain them to her.


	35. Emily

Emily frowned as she once more reached JJ's voice mail. Something was seriously wrong, she could feel it in the marrow of her bones, and she wondered when the team would contact her for help or to let her know what was happening.

Setting her phone aside, she rested her head on her hand, staring at the computer screen blankly. There really was no way to concentrate on busy work when her mind was occupied with thoughts of friends back home, and yet she still wanted to appear like she was doing something.

Emily must have dozed off, since the next thing she knew, Clyde was clearing his throat behind her. Jumping a little, she turned to see him smiling at her, his eyebrow cocked up a little. "Long night, Emily?" he drawled out as he moved over to her desk and settled down on it.

"No. Long morning. I guess I sort of zoned out. Look, I might have to go to the States soon, I think there's trouble with JJ. She's missing."

"What makes you say that?" he asked, looking concerned.

"She hasn't been answering my calls. Usually we speak about once a week, she always calls me when it's best for her, but this week, she didn't. And I didn't get a text from her, or a move on Words With Friends. Frankly, I'm more than a little worried."

Clyde nodded sagely. "There does seem to be enough weird happenings to warrant your worry. Have you tried calling any of the others, like her husband?"

She looked down at her desk as she shook her head. "I didn't really think about that. I guess I was just hoping that I would hear from her, that my mind was just jumping to conclusions. I guess I was hoping that she wouldn't turn out to be another me."

To her horror, tears began to prickle at her eyes and Clyde reached out to run her shoulder gently. Ever since she had come to Interpol, their friendship had deepened into something very dear to her, and she was grateful that he could calm her with just one simple gesture. "Emily, dear, you are going to drive yourself crazy if you don't do something. Call Will and ask him what's going on. All right?"

She nodded and picked up her phone once more. It didn't take her long to find Will's number in the contact list, since he was called Captain Crawfish. Hearing Clyde's slight chuff of amusement, she smiled. "It's an inside joke between JJ and me. When we first met him, Reid was going through his addiction issues, and we both needed some levity from him and the case in New Orleans, and it just sort of slipped out. And then it stuck. He must never know."

He raised his hand as he tried to swallow his laughter. "I promise, if I am ever in the same vicinity of him, I will not breathe a word of his nickname to his face. Though I reserve the right to call him that in my head."

"You are incorrigible," she hissed, smacking his arm lightly before touching Will's number, bringing the phone to her ear and listening to it ring. He finally picked up, and she sucked in a shallow breath. "Hello?"

"Emily! Thank God! Have you heard from JJ in the last few days? No one seems to be able to tell me anything. Henry is trying to be strong, like his momma, but I can tell that he's starting to get anxious. Can you tell me anything?"

She let out the breath she had been holding while she listened to him, and shook her head at Clyde. "I was calling you to make sure that she was okay. I haven't heard from her in days, either. What is going on?"

"I don't know. I hate being kept out of the loop. I'm a cop, too, I know how to hold my own. If I lose her, after everything we've been through together, I don't know what I'll do."

His voice sounded so defeated that Emily didn't even bother to try and stop her tears, letting them roll down her cheeks. "I'm sure she's going to be fine, Will. She's a fighter, she always has been."

"I know, and that's what I'm holding on to. Promise me, the moment you hear anything, you will all me and let me know, too. I love her, Emily."

The raw emotion in his voice broke her heart and she nodded. "I promise you, I will keep you in the loop. But why don't you call Jessica and see if Jack can come over and keep Henry company? I'm sure that would make him happy."

"That's a good idea, thanks."

"You're welcome." She hung up and then sighed, slumping forward in her chair. "So, about heading to the States…"

"As soon as we get the call, I'll let you go over. Do you have any idea what this could be about?"

"Hotch being in the Middle East. I always thought it was a little odd that he had been strong-armed to head over there, especially with no military experience. Which means, that at some point, JJ was also in the Middle East. Most likely, we're looking at an international op, and that does not sit well with me."

She thought back to dealings with Doyle, and shivered a little. "She was never trained for that kind of work. She was just supposed to be a media liaison with the State Department, right?" Emily nodded. "I'll do everything I can to ensure that you have the necessary resources to deal with something like this. And I know that you'll get her back." He opened his arms, and she leaned forward, letting her head come to rest on his chest as she thought about everything that could possibly go wrong in the very near future.


	36. JJ, Hotch, Blake

It was only after the ambulance had pulled away, taking Matteo to the hospital, that JJ collapsed to the ground, her arm cradled tightly to her body. She ached and wanted nothing more than to slip into a hot shower, washing away the grime and sludge of her captivity. She began to dry heave, and then Hotch was at her side, kneeling down next to her as she struggled not to throw up.

"I have you, Jayje. Don't worry. No one can hurt you now," he whispered in her ear as he handed her her phone. "And a certain bosslady1 is waiting for you to play. I'm certain that she would love to know you haven't fallen off the face of the earth."

She frowned a little as he helped her to her feet, guiding her over to the other ambulance. "It sounds like you know her, Hotch. Is there something that I should know?"

"In time, Jayje. But still, make your move." And then, he let his professional veneer drop away as he leaned in and kissed the crown of her head. "If we had lost you, I have no idea how I would have explained it to Jack. Don't do that to us!"

The ferocity in his voice shocked her, and she leaned her head against his chest. "I'll try not to, ever again. Don't ever let me go again."

Her true feelings were so close to the surface in that moment that she was certain he would know about her crush on him. And now was not the time to let that slip. He seemed to not hear the yearning for him in her voice as he rubbed her back gently. "You aren't going anywhere if I can help it."

She nodded and busied herself with her phone, calling up the Words With Friends app and clicking on the first of her two games with bosslady1. It didn't take her long to find a play, and while she was trying to find another word on the other game, she got a message. _Jennifer! I was so worried! Are you okay? Please, tell me that David and Alexandra and the others were able to get to you before something seriously awful happened._

The words were so desperate that JJ was almost certain the woman knew her from somewhere. And the way she name-checked Rossi and Blake, it was too close to home. _I'm fine, or I will be in time. Who are you?_

There was radio silence from her game partner, and she gazed across the parking lot to meet Blake's eye. The woman looked so relieved that JJ was alive, and she gave her a small smile, beckoning her to her side as the paramedics checked her over. "Alex, tell me who bosslady1 is. Now."

The steel in her voice shocked JJ and by the look on Blake's face, it had had the same effect on her, too. "I can't. She'll tell you on her own. Now, you need to go to the hospital and get checked over. Will will bring Henry by in the morning, all right?"

JJ nodded, narrowing her eyes as she let the paramedics help her up onto a gurney. As the driver began to head towards the hospital, she finally heard the ping that told her she had a new notification. Looking at the screen, she saw that bosslady1 had sent her a message and she opened the app hurriedly, hoping her question would be answered. _I should never have let you stay over there, not after you lost the baby. This is my fault, you realize._

The realization of who was on the other end of her game made her blanch and she gasped. _Erin?_

_ Yes. And as soon as you've been checked out, everyone is coming over for a celebratory party. I mean, everyone is okay, right?_

_ Matteo was seriously injured, but he was awake and talking when the ambulance took him away. You're alive. My god. I, I just…_

_ It's a lot to take in. I'll be here, with Jessica and Jack, when you get released. If you want to stop on by before heading home, that would be all right, too._

_ I'll have to see what Will wants to do. But I, I do want to talk to you._

_ That's all I ask._

JJ closed the app, wanting to save on her battery life, and fought back the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks. She had fought the dark for so long, and it had almost caught up with her this time. It had almost cost Cruz his life. Sighing, she turned to look at the paramedic next to her. "My arms hurt."

"And why is that?" she asked, feeling them gently.

"While I was being held captive, they kept me chained up. Sometimes, they would lift me up so that all my weight rested on them. It was difficult to tell how long a time span it was, I had no way of telling time down there. And I think they injected me with something to keep me docile. Would it be all right if I went to sleep while you checked me over? I am so exhausted."

The woman smiled at her as she nodded. "That will be fine, ma'am. I'll try to work as carefully as I can."

JJ nodded and tried to get comfortable on the gurney, trying to turn her brain off from the night's events. She could only hope that the welcoming abyss of sleep would also shut out any nightmares that she might be susceptible to, thanks to her experience. That was the last thing that she needed, on a night like tonight.


	37. Team

Dave woke up feeling heavy. Blinking open his eyes, he smiled when he saw that Erin was sprawled out on top of him, her skin soft and warm against his. Running his hands up and down her back, he marveled anew at the beauty that was his wife. Letting his hands slip lower, he cupped her ass, tugging her closer to him.

As he continued to watch, she slowly came to wakefulness, a contented smile spreading across her lips as she opened her eyes. "Good morning, David," she whispered before leaning in to kiss him gently. "Where did my nightie go?"

"I slipped it off when I joined you in bed last night. Just to warn you, we have a full house right now. Hotch was the first to decide to come over, and Blake quickly joined him. That seemed to indicate to everyone else that they should hunker down over here. Gina dropped Henry off, I heard."

"Yes. It was a good thing that Jessica answered the door, because that poor woman sounded frazzled enough as it was yesterday. I take it JJ had to go in for observations?"

He nodded and then gave his wife another kiss. "Yes, cara mio. Now, let's get up and make breakfast for our family." Dave gently pushed her off of him and he had to bite back a groan as she stretched, the sheet pooling around her hips. "Even after all this time, you still tempt me. If only there weren't so many people here right now."

Erin laughed lightly as she climbed out of bed and waltzed over to the armoire. While he watched, she quickly dressed and then tossed him a set of clothes. "I'll meet you downstairs." She smiled sweetly as she ran a hand through her hair, sashaying from the room.

Dave flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Really, she would be the death of him someday. Shaking his head, he picked up the boxers and stepped into them before dressing. As he stepped into the hall, he could hear the hushed giggles of little boys and turned to his left, where the sound was coming from. "Unca Dave!" Henry yelled as he ran to him, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, kiddos. What are you doing up?" he asked, holding up his free arm so that Jack could hug him as well.

"We couldn't sleep anymore. Jack said that we could play video games until everyone else is up. Do you want to play with us?"

"Well, I should probably help my wife with breakfast for everyone. That's going to be a tall order this morning."

Jack shook his head, frowning up at him. "Uh uh, Miss Blake is doing that already. She said that she couldn't sleep, her Jamie wasn't here. It looked like she was crying."

"Oh." Dave began to lead the boys downstairs and over to the den.

Pushing open the door, he peeked in, only to see Erin and Alex sitting on the sofa, Alex crying on his wife's shoulder. "You'll be fine, he'll be here after his shift, and then you can escape up to one of the guest rooms…"

He backed out of the room and looked down at the boys. "Change of plans, boys. Let's start making up pancakes for everyone!"

Henry nodded enthusiastically, while Jack frowned a little. "Miss Blake was crying. Is everything okay? I'm going to go in and check." The young boy slipped into the den before Dave could stop him, and he decided to let him go, knowing that they would shoo him away if he was interrupting anything too sensitive.

"I'm hungry, Unca Dave. We eats, he talks."

Dave burst out laughing, needing the levity after the night they had just experienced. "That sounds like a good plan, buddy." Leaning down, he swung him up into his arms, settling him on his shoulders as they made their way to the kitchen. To his surprise, Erin's kids were already there, rummaging around in the cupboards. "Hey, what are you all doing here?"

"Well, Mom mentioned something about being housebound, so we've been here for the last few days with Jessica and Jack. Plus, Karen is starting to nest, her appointment is next Tuesday." Tabitha grinned at him before tapping her cheek. Obliging his daughter, he kissed her before pulling Karen into a tight hug.

"Do we have any Cheetos?" Henry asked as Bruce took him down off Dave's shoulders, setting him down on the island.

"I do not allow those in my house," Dave started to say as Tabitha nodded. "Tabby…"

"Mom plays with someone named Cheetobreath. I assumed that they would be here, since she only plays people she knows. Ergo, Cheetos with the groceries!" She gave him a smile that reminded him so of Erin that he found he couldn't be mad. "But, they are definitely not for breakfast."

"Aw, really?" Henry whined a little, and Tabitha nodded before ruffling his hair. As they began to make breakfast, the others began to drift down into the kitchen, looking to still be in various stages of exhaustion. He smiled when Hotch and Morgan leaned against the counter, Penelope leaning against them both. Jessica curled up close to Hotch, her head on his chest as she yawned deeply.

Eventually, Alex and Erin joined them, along with Jack, and he smiled around at his almost complete family, feeling a warm wave of love sweep over his heart. "Is everyone here?" Karen asked timidly, and he nodded. "Good. So, I may have lied about when my next appointment was. The doctor implanted two eggs on Monday. I'll find out next Monday if they took."

Erin gasped as she opened her arms to her oldest, folding her into a tight hug. "Unca Dave, where did the doctor take her eggs?"

Everyone giggled and Henry frowned a little, searching for a sympathetic face. Penelope opened her arms and he ran to her, letting her pick him up. "Honey, sometimes people need the doctor to help them have a baby. It sounds like Karen has done this for Uncle Dave and Aunt Erin. It's a precious gift she's giving them." Henry nodded before rubbing his stomach.

"Okay. Can we eat now?" Penelope nodded and they all began to plate up the food. Dave stood back and watched his family. Erin beckoned him to her side, and he smiled as he loped over to her, a wide grin on his face. Yes, life was starting to look up for them all, and he couldn't wait to see JJ here with them, sharing in the joy.


	38. Will, JJ, Emily

Will clasped JJ's hand tightly, wishing she would wake up, and yet, hoping that she would sleep a little while longer. He knew just how much sleep could do for a person, having learned that while he was recovering from his own brush with death. He had gotten to the hospital right after JJ had been taken to her room, and she had smiled tiredly at him before passing out and he had taken up his lonely vigil.

Finally, though, she stirred, groaning deeply as she turned towards him, her eyes blinking open. "Will?"

"Yes, _cher_?" he asked as he stroked her hair with his free hand.

"Have you heard anything about Matteo?" she asked hoarsely, her eyes filling with tears.

"He's still in intensive care. His wife and kids are up there with him now. The doctors think that he should be released in a few days." Will brought her hand up to his lips, kissing the back softly. She gave him a pained smile, and he wondered what was going on in her head. "Let me in, Jayje."

"I want to start trying again."

Her words shocked him, and he looked at her, really looked, as he felt hope and joy well up in his heart. "Really?"

She nodded before biting her lip. "When I was overseas, I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't even have the chance to tell you, before I was in that attack. I'm so sorry." She began to sob and he let go of her hand so that he could pull her into a tight hug. "I should have told you, when I got back, but there never seemed a good time. I'm sorry."

Will sighed a little as he listened to his wife sob in his arms. A small part of him was so very angry that she had kept this from him, that she wouldn't tell him that they had lost a baby, that the hope for a future had ended when she took that assignment. And yet, she was being open with him, something that had been lacking in the last few months of their marriage.

He went to say something in reply when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he said shortly, unable to keep the irritation from his voice.

Emily stepped inside and he fought not to groan or frown at her. "I just wanted to check in on you guys before I headed over to Rossi's. I can't believe they just let you go to hospital alone!"

JJ shrugged a little and winced in pain. "I know that Rossi and Hotch had more pressing concerns, Em. This affected so many on the team, not just me and Matt." She beckoned Emily over to her side, and the woman sat on the bed so that she could look at both of them. "There's something you need to know, when you go over to Rossi's. You're not the only phoenix of the BAU."

Emily looked at Will, frowning, and all he could do was shrug and shake his head, hacing no idea what his wife was talking about. "I'm sorry, I don't follow you, Jayje."

"Erin is alive. I don't know how, I don't know why she hid herself away, but she is alive, and we are some of the last ones to find out about it this time. I've been playing Words With Friends with her for two weeks, and had no inkling that it was her! God, it sucks to be lied to!"

The anger heartened Will, since it told him that she truly was feeling better, and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb as Emily smiled sadly at her. "Now you know how Reid felt when we hid the truth about me. God, I hope that she is doing okay. My return from the dead was so hard."

"I'm sure she'd love to talk to you, Emily," Will said, giving the woman a small smile. "And when you get there, let them know that as soon as Jay is released, we'll be joining you."

She nodded, picking up on his subtle hint to leave them alone once more. "All right, I'll be off, then. Come join us as soon as you can." She leaned down and kissed JJ's cheek before getting up and rubbing Will's shoulder softly. "I am so glad that you are all right, Jayje. I don't know what I would have done if we had lost you last night."

"I know. Give them all my love."

"Will do."

Emily left, and Will focused on his wife once more. "So, Strauss is alive."

JJ nodded. "She was going to send me home, when she found out I was pregnant. She knew that I shouldn't be out in the field. I went above her head to go on that mission, and I resented her so much for not stopping me." She burst into tears, and Will got up to settle beside her on the bed, letting her curl up against him.

"You needed someone to blame, but you should have blamed the ones that attacked your convoy."

She nodded and brought his hand to cover her stomach. "I know. And now I have to find a way to make amends. I never got the chance to really do that before Curtis hurt her." He felt the yawn that ripped through her body, and he rubbed her back softly. "I don't think there will be enough sleep in a month of Sundays that will make me feel less tired."

"Nap while you can. Once they release you, you know Henry will be on you like white on rice." He kissed the top of her head, listening to her sigh gently. "Sleep, Jen, I won't leave you."

"I know you won't," she murmured thickly before clutching his shirt in her hand, worrying the fabric between her fingers as he rocked her back to sleep.


	39. Emily, Team

Emily sighed as she drummed her fingers against her thigh. She was glad that she had been able to hail a cab at the hospital, but she was not looking forward to seeing the team. Even the fact that she was calling her friends the team, and not her team, was telling to her, and she wondered when everything had changed. Maybe it had been when they had forgotten about her birthday, even when she had called to talk to Penelope two days beforehand. Or when she hadn't called Derek back, putting off a conversation she didn't want to have.

It seemed that they arrived at Dave's place much too soon for her liking, and she paid the cabbie before stepping out of the vehicle and squaring her shoulders. This was one situation that she knew she couldn't run from and took a few deep breaths before she knocked on the door.

"Emily! You made it!" Penelope enveloped her in a tight hug before pulling her inside. "Now we're just missing Jayje and Will. Oh, and Beth, if she calls Boss Man back." Her friend kissed her cheek enthusiastically and led her into the den. On the sofa sat Jessica and Erin, Jack and Henry ensconced between them, playing a video game. The others were all talking by the fireplace, and she naturally gravitated to them, while Penelope sank to the floor in front of Erin, resting her head against her leg.

"Hi," she said, feeling a bit awkward around them.

"Hey, kiddo. Have you met our children yet?" She shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the changes that had happened while she had been gone. "The munchkin there is Tabitha, our youngest. Bruce is there in the middle, and Karen is our oldest."

They all waved to her, Tabitha giving her a wide smile. And then, to her shock, the girl was stepping forward and hugging her tightly. "Any friend of Papa Dave's is a friend of ours," she said brightly, hooking her arm around Emily's waist. "So, what's it like in London?"

"Busy. Clyde and I have a lot to do, usually."

"Ooh, is he your boyfriend?"

Emily brushed brightly as Dave shook his head. "Tabitha," he said, using the same tone of voice he had once used with her, and she reached out and smacked his arm lightly. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Don't Tabitha her. She's fine to ask such questions." She squeezed the girl's waist a little before speaking once more. "No, he's not my boyfriend. We're just really good friends right now. We tried dating, but it didn't work."

"I know how that goes. I thought things were going to work out between me and Rachel, but we're better off friends. I didn't like fighting so often."

"I thought you were dating Lizzie?" Erin asked, and Emily smiled to hear the easy acceptance in the woman's voice. When she had tried to come out as bisexual to her mother in her youth, she had not received any support.

"Lizzie was last year, Momma. I've sworn off dating until I'm in college. No matter who catches my eye. I swear."

Erin giggled a little, and Emily felt like she had been sucked into another dimension. The woman she had once known had never been so free as to giggle like that. "I think that you'll have a new girlfriend soon, honey. Like me, you crave the company of another."

Tabitha shrugged slightly. "We'll have to see. Emily, do you want to come look at pictures? I'm sure there are a few of you haven't seen before." Emily could tell that the young woman was glaring at her mother, and this made her laugh heartily. "What?"

"Tabitha, you have no idea how lucky you are to have a mother who loves you so." Erin turned her head, looking at her in surprise. "I'm glad that you got a second chance with her."

"I am, too, Emily. Now, come over here." Tabitha led her over to the free loveseat and tugged Emily down, motioning with her hand for something. Erin sighed a little, her lips pursing, and Emily wondered exactly what pictures she would be shown. Penelope laughed a little as she handed Tabitha an iPad, and the girl quickly called up Facebook, bringing up her photo albums.

"There's nothing too shocking there, Em. I already looked through all the albums," Penelope said as she settled back at Erin's feet, watching them. Emily nodded and looked down at the screen, smiling at how young Erin's children were.

"This is Easter Sunday, when I was four. I loved that dress, since I got to pick out the fabric for it. I think Momma saved it for me, so I can let my own little girl wear it someday." Emily felt Tabitha hiccup a little, and she turned her head to see that the girl was crying. Helplessly, she looked to Erin, and the woman nodded at her.

Hesitantly, she dropped her arm around Tabitha's shoulders, and listened to the girl sigh lightly before relaxing against her. "Are you okay?"

"I just feel things, Emily. Momma says that I'm the most like her, out of us all, and that she used to cry at the drop of a hat, too. Anyway, let's flip through this album." It amazed Emily how quickly the girl shifted gears, but decided to go with it. "I found the most eggs that year."

"Wait, is that Rossi?" she asked, pointing to the screen. Tabitha nodded. "Oh my god, you look so young! Was this an FBI function, then?"

Erin gave a sharp nod, and Emily had to wonder what all had gone on at that function. "It was really warm that Easter," was all the woman said as she glanced over at Dave, a secret smile on her face. Emily caught Penelope's eye as her mouth dropped open. That was most definitely a story that she would have to pry from Dave as soon as they were alone. It was too juicy to pass up. "So, does anyone want any hot chocolate?" Erin asked as she stood up, a bright blush staining her face as she held tightly onto Henry's hand. "Because Henry and I will be making it in the kitchen."

And then she stalked off, leaving them behind, and it took everything in Emily not to burst out into the hysterical giggles she so often fell back on when she was shocked. She couldn't wait to fill JJ in on what she had just learned.


	40. Beth, Anderson

Beth groaned under her breath as she received yet another text from Aaron. She was in the middle of an important meeting, and while she knew that he had just survived yet another brush with death, she needed to focus. "All right, Ms. Clemmons, I believe that this would be a wonderful collaboration with our museum. I'll have the contract drawn up and brought over to the head curator before five this afternoon."

The older man stood, and she followed suit, holding out her hand. He shook it firmly, and she smiled before escaping into her office. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she saw that the last text had not been from Aaron, but rather Penelope, and it was not a happy one. _Look, Aaron and Jessica are just going to move in with Dave at this point. You boyfriend needs you here, and your absence is looking awful to all of us, gumdrop. Either call him or take the next train to DC. One leaves Penn Station at 11:45, and you could be at Rossi's by four, if you really tried._

Sighing, she shoved the phone back in her pocket before plopping down in her chair, covering her face with her hands. "Fine, I'll make time for this," she muttered before calling her boss. "Hey, Vicky, yeah, I'm sure you've heard about the incident with Aaron's team in Virginia. I wasn't going to go and see him, we had a weekend planned for next week, but I suppose that I should make time for this."

"Um, yes, you should. I was wondering when you would be asking for leave to head down there. Don't worry, I'll take it out of your family leave time."

Beth nodded and smiled a little. "Will do, Vicki. I shouldn't be gone too long. Monsieur Lamont will be bringing the contract by before five, and then we can get started on planning for the installation."

"Wonderful! I'll hold off on that until you get back, then."

She sighed a little. "Sounds good. Bye." Hanging up, she stood once more and tugged on her coat. Just as she went to pick up her briefcase, she heard her phone ding, and she pulled it out, only to see that she had received a confirmation for her ticket to DC. Rolling her eyes a little, she knew that Penelope was meddling once more, and she tried not to get too angry at the woman. She meant well, after all.

Deciding against going back to her apartment and packing a bag, she hailed a cab to Penn Station and checked in for her train. Beth found that she only had twenty minutes to get to her platform, and she hurried over, slipping into a nearly empty car and choosing a seat next to the window before pulling out her iPad and calling up the book that she was in the middle of.

The three hour trip seemed to fly by, and soon, the train was pulling into Union Station. The moment she stepped off the train, she saw a placard with her name on it, held by a pleasant looking young man in a suit. Confidently, she strode over to him and gave him a large smile. "Hello. I believe you are expecting me."

"Yes, Ms. Clemmons. I'm Agent Anderson, and Penelope has tasked me with bringing you to Agent Rossi's house." He smiled prettily at her before taking hold of her elbow and leading her over to his waiting car. "I'm glad that you were able to catch this train. The others would have been too late."

"I see. So, who all is at Dave's?" she asked as she settled into the passenger seat.

"Everyone. Gina and I were planning on stopping by, ourselves, until I got tasked with this. I dropped her off and came to get you." There was a small note of censure in his voice and Beth found herself blushing a little at the sound.

"Yes, well, I was closing a major deal with a museum, trying to get them to agree to loaning us a few pieces of Manet's work. We're planning on having a new travelling exhibit. It's not like I could drop everything and be at Aaron's side in a heartbeat."

"I see." The tone was still there, and she winced a little to hear it. "Well, at least everyone's still alive. It was touch and go there with Chief Cruz for a while. It seems like everyone is going to find something to be thankful for right now."

"Ah." She found herself tearing up a little as she stared out the window, the scenery blurring the longer she looked. "I do love him, Agent Anderson. I just find it hard to be around all the death and tension."

"Haley was the same. She couldn't stand to deal with his job, and what he needs is a helpmeet, someone who will support him. Maybe it's time to rethink your priorities."

"Maybe," she whispered, rubbing her chest absently as she thought about the young man's words. "Haley was cheating on him, you know. He told me that. I would never do anything like that, I'm faithful. I don't want to hurt him or Jack. I wish that I could have found a job here, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"And that's okay. Are you ever going to be ready to settle down here? He's not going to want to leave the BAU. Ever."

"I know that. His soul is there. I just need a little more time to reconcile myself to that." Sighing once more, she wiped away some of the tears that had started to fall. Maybe it was time for a change in her life, one way or the other.


	41. Erin, Beth, Team

Erin listened to the hum of activity around her, smiling at the warm feeling of camaraderie that was evident in the room. The only person missing was Beth, but she had a feeling that the woman would be joining them shortly, since Anderson had gone to pick her up an hour ago.

Hearing a knock on the door, she perked up, but Bruce was quicker, bounding out of the den to answer the door. Erin turned her attention back to Henry, cuddling him close as she listened to his story. "And Mom says that the best games are the ones that are the closest. Would you read to me, Aunt Erin?"

She nodded and he slipped off her lap to scamper over to Tabitha, holding out his hand expectantly. She laughed a little as she handed over the iPad and he came back to her, crawling up into her lap once more. Erin smiled tenderly at JJ and the woman gave her a small smile back, scooting closer to Will. And then her eyes found Aaron in the group, and Erin was able to see the sadness and indecision that lurked there.

Sighing lightly, she quickly found an age appropriate book to read to Henry and downloaded it from the store. Just as she was about to start, a commotion in the doorway caught her attention, and she wrapped her arms around Henry as Beth entered the room, an inscrutable look on her face. Aaron smiled a little, looking over at Penelope for a moment before refocusing on his girlfriend. Beth noticed the look and frowned a little before striding forward and hugging him tightly. "Aaron! I came as soon as I could."

Penelope couldn't disguise the humph that sounded from her lips, and Erin reached down to tighten her hand around her shoulder in warning. The younger woman looked up at her, biting her lip as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Be careful, honey," she murmured, reaching up to tug on a piece of her hair.

"I booked her ticket," she hissed, turning in to Erin's legs, burying her face in her skirt. Emily caught her eye, and Erin nodded a little to her.

"So, what were you doing that kept you away so long?" There was just a slight hint of mockery in Emily's voice, and Erin pursed her lips, not thinking it wise to antagonize the woman so. Emily just smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back a little. "I mean, even I made it in from England."

"We're not all you, Emily," the woman spat back, and Henry whimpered a little, burrowing in close to Erin. JJ reached out and then winced, Will rubbing her shoulders softly before pulling her close to him once more.

"Why don't we make cookies, boys? Does that sound like a good idea?" she finally asked, putting her arm around Henry as she stood. The boy fit perfectly on her hip, and she felt a warm wave of love sweep over her, knowing that she was ready for another child in her life. It didn't surprise her to find that JJ, Penelope, and her children, had trailed after her, and she set Henry down on the counter. "All right, what kind of cookies should we make, Henry, Jack?"

"Peanut butter?" Jack asked quietly, scrambling to sit on the counter next to Henry.

She nodded and looked at Henry. He looked quickly at his mother before looking back at her. "Oatmeal raisin! With chocolate chips, too."

Erin laughed lightly and began to root through her cookbook drawer, finally laying hand on her cookie recipes. Tugging the book out, she flipped first to the peanut butter recipes, and then looked up at Tabitha. "Honey, could you grab the jar of peanut butter?"

Her daughter nodded, and she turned back to the book before feeling someone hover over her shoulder. Glancing over, she found herself looking into Penelope's face and sighed lightly. "What else do we need, Erin?"

"Flour, eggs, oatmeal, milk, sugar…" As she rattled off the ingredients, the others hurried to find them, bringing them over to the island and setting them in small piles. "And of course, I need my mixer, some bowls, measuring cups, and baking sheets."

Henry began to squirm a little, and she smiled at him. "Aunt Erin, can I do the mixing?"

"No fair! I want to do the mixing!" Jack pouted a little and she shook her head a little. "What?"

"We're doing two recipes, you each may help mix for the one that you wanted…" Raised voices caused Erin to stiffen, and she looked to Jack instinctively. He frowned a little, his lower lip trembling, and she thrust the book to the closest pair of hands before pulling him into a tight hug. "It will be okay, sweetie," she whispered in his ear.

"No, it won't, Aunt Erin. She's going to leave me, too. At least you came back." His heartbroken voice caused Erin so start crying along with him, and she rubbed his back tenderly as they both struggled to control their emotions. "Promise me that you'll always be here?"

She pulled away to look into his eyes, cupping his face with her hand. "I can't do that, precious. Everyone does die at their appointed time. Now, I believe that when I die, I'm going to Heaven to be with Jesus, and all my loved ones who believe the same as I. I don't know if your Aunt Jessica or your father have introduced you to a faith, yet, so I can't speak specifically to your fears. Just know, that you will always have my memory with you, in your heart. Okay?"

He nodded and then pressed his lips against her cheek before hugging her tightly again. Erin felt a warm hand on her back and she turned to look into Jessica's eyes. She was crying as well, and Erin sighed, letting herself be wrapped up in the woman's arms. Soon, it turned into a group hug, and she hoped that this outpouring of love would never end.


	42. Hotch, Beth

"They've all gone now, Beth. It's just you and me." Aaron stared at her, wondering how he could ever have fallen in love with the woman. Seeing her here now, how she had reacted to this latest issue with his team, his family, made wonder how he had never seen this side of her. And he questioned why he had introduced her to Jack in the first place.

Beth pulled away from him, gliding over to the fireplace and turning her back to him so that she could look at the flames. "I never meant for this to happen, Aaron. You should know that. I loved you."

The use of the past tense unnerved him and he closed the distance between them quickly, curving his hand around her upper arm and turning her to face him. "Loved? I introduced you to my son based on the fact that I assumed we were going to have a life together! I've always taken your needs into consideration, Beth, even when you took that job in New York. You were the one who had misgivings about a long distance relationship, while I did everything in my power to make it work. I should have listened to what you were trying to tell me, I guess!"

She narrowed her eyes as she wrenched away from him. "You never took my feelings into consideration! I was the one who had to point out that it was my birthday! You couldn't even remember that!"

He drew in a deep breath, trying to keep a leash on his anger. "Did you remember Jack's?" he asked quietly, his lips flattening into a thin line as he glared at her. "Did you remember why he was sad in October?"

"Oh, I know why he was sad. That's when his sainted mother died!" She raised her chin as her nostrils flared. "Only, she wasn't so sainted, was she? She fucked other men, after all, behind your back. There are some days when I don't blame her for that."

Aaron tried mightily to hang on to the thin thread of control that he had, and so he turned from her, stalking over to the window and resting his palms against the pane of glass so as not to reach out and strike something. "Beth…"

"Don't Beth me, Aaron. Your wife was a bitch, and you still judge me by that standard."

His jaw tightened as he felt the anger well up inside him. "You know nothing, Elizabeth."

"I know enough about love and loyalty. Neither of which you've ever given me freely."

That was the moment that he lost it, and he whirled around to face her once more. "I was reluctant to date you in the beginning, that is true. But I quickly fell in love with you. I know that I had Haley's blessing to move on with you. I have ever and always been loyal, faithful, and true to you. Do you really think so little of me?"

He hadn't realized that he had closed the distance between them once more until she was shrinking away from him, anger and apprehension at war on her face. "Yes," she hissed, reaching up to smack him.

Aaron caught her wrist easily, closing his fingers around it carefully so as not to hurt her. "I cannot believe that I put my trust in you. That's it, we're taking a break!" His voice had become a roar, and he prayed that Jack wasn't hearing any of this.

"That suits me just fine! Maybe you should start fucking Penelope, after all, she seems to really enjoy fucking with other people's lives!"

Unconsciously, his fingers tightened around her wrist as white hot fury filled him. "Never talk about my friends like that. She is one of the sweetest, most caring, souls that I have the pleasure of knowing. You would know that if you bothered to get to know my friends!" Releasing her suddenly, he pushed away from her. "That's it. Screw taking a break. We're done, we're through. Get out!"

She trembled a little under his glare, but she didn't back down as she gave him a rough nod before turning on her heel and walking with measured steps out of the room. As soon as the den door slammed shut, he let his shoulders sag as the first tears began to well up in his eyes. He knew that they were born from frustration and sorrow combined, but still, he hated the fact that he was spending emotion on her.

Tripping over to the sofa, he sank down and buried his face in his hands, trying to regain control. He wished that he had seen this side to her before he had let their hearts become entangled. And before he had let Jack become attached. The door creaking open caught his attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Erin standing there. "Dave is letting Beth use our phone to call a cab. The cookies should be ready in about ten minutes. Do you want me to send Jack in here now, or would you like a little more time?"

Aaron beckoned her over and she gave him a tender smile as she took a seat next to him on the sofa, resting her hand atop his knee. "Did I do the right thing?"

"Oh, Aaron, only you can answer that. What is your heart telling you?"

"That she wasn't the one," he whispered as he let his head hang down. "I just hope that I haven't hurt Jack too much."

"There are so many people here, right now, who love him, Aaron. Even if he does feel upset about losing Beth in his life, we'll help him pick up the pieces, I promise." She squeezed his knee, and he finally looked back up into her eyes. "Let me tell you a secret, there are three hearts here that are especially tender towards you, Aaron. Any one of them would be a fine partner and helpmeet for you."

Aaron frowned a little, trying to parse her words, when Alex peeked in the room. Erin smiled and nodded to her before standing up once more. "Wait! Tell me more!"

"In good time, Aaron. In good time."


	43. Dave, Emily, Erin

"Do you have to leave us so soon?" Dave asked as he and Emily worked on supper. They had shooed everyone else from the kitchen, wanting to spend a little time alone.

"Yeah, Clyde only gave me a few days off, he figured that I could help you close the case in no time at all. And…I'm sort of ready to return home."

That took him aback, and he stopped stirring the marinara sauce as he turned to look at her. "What? Why?"

She shrugged a little, looking away from him as she went back to chopping the tomatoes. "There's just been this weird tension around me. Erin has been the only one who has really welcomed me in, and I think that's because she knows exactly what it's like to come back from the dead and wonder if your friends and family are going to welcome you back."

He frowned deeply as he set the wooden spoon aside, coming over to her side and resting his hand on her shoulder. "Emily…"

"Don't Emily me, Rossi. Not when your voice sounds so sad." She tried to give him her confident, cocky, smile, but it wobbled before turning into a grimace as she began to cry. He opened his arms to her, and she stepped into the embrace, silently sobbing against his chest.

Erin slipped into the room and gave him one of her looks. He nodded and watched her smile as she shut the door and joined them. Her chin fit on Emily's shoulder perfectly, her arms encircling them both, ensconcing Emily between their bodies. "Things never go back to normal, do they?"

Emily shook her head before turning in their arms so that she could rest her head on Erin's shoulder. "I wish to God that it did, Erin. They'll always remember that you left them. And some small part of their brains will bring it up whenever they're upset with you, and then you feel like the world is closing in around you, and all you want to do is escape. I did. And yet, I still miss them."

Erin tugged on Emily's hair softly as they began to sync breaths. "Penelope is really clingy with me, and I adore that. She was quicker to forgive me than my own children, even if Karen is carrying our child. I wish, I wish…"

"I know, Erin." Emily leaned her head back against Dave to look at his wife. "But you two are really going to have a baby?"

"Perhaps," he replied, reaching up Erin's back to tweak her bra strap. She arched an eyebrow at him, and he smiled puckishly at her. "I think that Karen said we'll find out on the seventeenth if the egg implanted or not."

Erin's eyes fluttered closed, and as he watched, tears began to trail down her cheeks. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to him, and Emily wriggled out from between them, letting them share a tender, intimate, moment. "I know, it's so silly to want a baby at our age, but, I want this more than anything. I want a second chance to be a perfect mother. I made so many mistakes with my babies. Oh, David, my David."

He hadn't seen Erin this vulnerable in months, and he wondered what had brought out this side of her. "Hey, why don't you guys go out and relax while I finish up supper?"

Erin shook her head. "No, I want to help. What's left to do?" She pushed him away as she rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Why don't you come up with something for dessert? The cookies you made yesterday were delicious, so I assume that there's something else hidden up your sleeve." Emily smiled at her kindly and he watched Erin nod a little before she headed over to their recipe drawer. Pulling out her dessert file, she pored over the contents, settling onto the stool that Emily pushed underneath her.

They worked in companionable silence, and he grinned when he realized that Erin was making the caramel dark chocolate brownies that he loved. As the delicious scents of cooking filled the kitchen, their children began to trickle in, sitting on the open stools and watching them.

"Emily, can I come visit you in London this summer?" Tabitha asked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched them.

"You'll have to ask your mother, Tabby. Though, I know that I would love to have you for a visit."

Tabitha gasped excitedly, and Dave watched his wife shake her head a little. "We'll have to go in June or July. Anything later and we would miss out on seeing you off to band camp."

"But that's the hottest months of the year!"

"You'd be in England, Tabby-cat. And perhaps you could twist Emily's arm enough and have her use her connections to meet…"

"Peter Capaldi!"

"I was thinking the Prime Minister, given your interest in politics." Dave laughed a little as he reached out to ruffle her hair. She stuck her tongue out at him, which caused Emily to begin to giggle, and then laugh loudly. "What?"

"Nothing, you are just too adorable. So, I should expect to see you and your mother at my apartment in June, then?"

Tabitha nodded excitedly, grinning at Erin. "Yes! Oh my gosh, I can't wait to tell all my friends about the awesome way I'm going to spend my summer vacation! Thank you, Emily!" Getting up, she rushed up to the woman's side and hugged her tightly before going over to her mother and hanging off of her. "And you're making my favorite brownies. This is the best night, ever, I swear." She kissed Erin's cheek softly and then let her chin thunk down onto her mother's shoulder.

"I'm so glad that you're happy, honey," Erin said softly as she stirred the batter for the brownies. "And thank you, Emily, for agreeing to host us."

"It will be my pleasure, Erin."

They looked at each other, and shared a smile that Dave could only describe as secretly understanding, and he marveled once more at how circumstances could bring even the most unlikely people together.


	44. James and Alex Blake

"But James, tomorrow is Valentine's Day," Alex murmured as she looked at the table, set with their best tableware. Candlelight added a romantic glow to the room, and she looked up at him, her lip quivering a little as she stepped closer to him.

James wrapped his arms lowly around her waist, his fingers brushing against her hips as he swayed them back and forth. "And I just found out that I have to work. Janine fell and broke her leg skiing today, and now I have to cover her shift."

"Oh." She leaned up and kissed him softly before resting her head on his chest, listening to the romantic music he had chosen to play. "This will be perfect, then." He nodded against her head and she smiled as she snuggled in closer, not wanting to let go of him. There had been something about the way that Beth and Aaron had broken up that had shaken her to the core, and all she wanted to do was cling to her husband. It wasn't the response she had been expecting of herself, but she was learning to listen to that voice nonetheless.

After a few minutes of slow dancing, James spoke once more, his voice rumbling into her skin. "This so nice, Lexie, but I don't want supper to burn. Take a seat, and I'll be back with it in just a moment."

Alex nodded as she settled onto a chair, pulling it in close. James smiled before bending down and kissing her softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Lexie." He caressed her face before leaving the room and she sighed a little. Ever since he had made the decision to work closer to home, she had found herself falling even deeper in love with him. It wasn't something she could control, and yet it was a delicious madness.

Spying the chilled bottle of red wine in the ice bucket next to her, she pulled it out and filled both their glasses before taking a sip of the drink. The sweetness of it made her smile and she set the glass aside to wait for James to return.

The delicious scent of supper reached her before he did, and Alex let her eyes flutter close as she breathed in the aromas. It overwhelmed her senses, and she smiled when she felt him lean against her to set her plate down in front of her. There was a pause before she heard his plate settle into place.

Alex went to open her mouth when his finger pressed against her lips. "Shh. Do you trust me?" She nodded. "Good." She wondered what was going on and she turned her face up to his opening her eyes. "I'm going to blindfold you, Lexie, so that I can feed you. All right?" Again, she nodded, feeling herself get turned on by his words.

Once she was blinded, it seemed like every other sense was magnified tenfold, and she heard the tinkling sounds of the cutlery on a plate. And then she felt warmth near her mouth, and she parted her lips in anticipation. As she closed her mouth around the morsel, she let the flavor explode in her mouth, almost groaning in pleasure as she chewed.

Their meal was languorous, sensual, and by the end of it, she was ready to rush upstairs and tear James's clothes off, to press her flesh against his, and to sear every possible inch of him in her memory bank. "Is it time to head upstairs?" she asked breathily.

"Not quite yet, Lexie. I made us a special dessert, though I will need your eyes free for that." She listened to him push away from the table and she tensed with anticipation. Soon, he was untying the blindfold and she looked up into his eyes, biting her lip as she read the blatant desire there.

"Kiss me?"

"Oh, my darling one, how could I resist that question?" Bending over her, he captured her lips in a bruising kiss, his fingers digging into her hair as he held her in place. She arched up into him, returning the kiss with just as much fervor. Their teeth knocked together as she fought to get closer to him, and that was what finally caused him to break the kiss, chuckling lightly as he caressed her face.

"Jamie," she whined, feeling her core clench almost painfully with desire.

"Good things come to those that wait, my love." And then he was stalking away from her. Alex stared after him, trying not to let her needs overwhelm her. After a few moments, James returned with one plate and two forks in his hands. "I made your favorite, peach cobbler."

"James," she breathed out, taking the plate from his hands and dug in with her fork, groaning aloud as the sweet taste exploded in her mouth. Her husband laughed before kissing her once more, his tongue sweeping against hers. The move caused her to melt even more, and she whimpered as he sat down before starting to pick up his fork and dig into the confection. A tiny glob of filling fell onto his chin, and she couldn't help herself.

Leaning in, she licked the treat off and it seemed that it was then that the thin control he had over his desires snapped. "Bedroom. Now."

"I was hoping you would say that soon." She stood up and he knocked over his chair in his haste to get to her. She giggled sweetly as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as their lips met once more in a hungry kiss. Everything seemed to come down to just them, and she sighed as she felt him begin to carry her up the stairs. These were the moments she was starting to live for, and she gave herself over to the waves of passion that were overwhelming her. She would never have thought that at this point in her life she would start to accept her feelings, but she decided to go with it, as she was finding herself happier than she had been in years.


	45. Erin and Dave

"Bonsoir, Madame. Let me show you to your table."

Erin had to fight the giggle that threatened to escape her lips at the exaggerated accent Bruce was using as he held out his elbow to her, an impish grin on his face. "Merci, monsieur. Do you have any specials this evening?"

"Oui. This evening we are serving a French onion soup as our starter, and will be following with three more courses. You will have to discover what those courses are on your own, though, as we do not want to reveal everything."

She nodded as they entered the dining room, gasping a little at the transformation. A white tablecloth covered the table, a blood red runner spread out along the center. There was a large flower arrangement that seemed to dominate her attention, and she let go of Bruce's arm to step forward and breathe in the heady scent of the blooms. "The kids picked out the flowers for that arrangement. Mine are waiting for you upstairs in our bedroom."

Turning her head, she found David at her side and she smiled as she held her hand out to him. He clasped it tightly before plucking out a dark pink calla lily and tucking it behind her ear. "Thank you," she said a bit shyly as he helped her into her chair, scooting it in for her. "Did you plan this, then?"

"No, it was all Tabitha's idea, actually." David threaded their fingers together and she smiled tenderly at him. "I do have a few gifts for you, though."

"Really?" He nodded and pulled out a large, flat, box and handed it to her. "David."

"Open it, cara."

She nodded and flipped open the hinged top, feeling her breath stolen from her lungs as she looked at the necklace that rested on a bed of black velvet. "David James," she gasped out, rubbing her thumb along the cluster of crystals shaped like a snowflake on the pendant. "This is too much."

"Nothing is too much for you, cara. I thought you could wear it to the opera with me."

She looked up into his eyes and nodded a little before picking up the necklace. From the main piece, three large teardrop crystals hung and she bit her lip a little, trying not to cry. "Will you put this on me?"

He shook his head, and she frowned a little. "Oh, if you could only see your face right now, Erin. While I was looking for something perfect for you, Penelope showed me this website, where people can sell handcrafted jewelry. I found that I couldn't decide between two pieces, but you'll have to wait until after we eat our soup for that one."

She nodded and tapped her foot anxiously until Karen and Tabitha appeared, each carrying a cup of soup. Erin hardly waited for them to disappear before digging into the soup, eating with gusto. The moment her soup bowl was empty, she looked at him, and eager grin on her face.

Dave chuckled lightly before reaching behind him and handing over another jewelry box. "I bought this one because I love seeing you in blue."

She smiled as she tugged the box out of his hand and opened it, another pleased gasp tumbling from her lips. "This is the one, beloved. I'll wear this one for you tonight."

He laughed loudly and stood up, plucking the necklace from the box and placing it around her neck. Once he had done so, he ran his hands down her shoulders and chest before undoing the top two buttons and pulling the fabric apart so the large blue teardrop pendant rested in her cleavage. "If it were just the two of us, I would take you on the table right now," he growled in her ear.

"And I would let you." Turning her head, she captured his lips in a deep kiss, tugging on the hairs at the nape of his neck. "That will just have to wait until we've finished our meal, though," she panted out as she released him, pushing him gently away.

The look he gave her as he sat back down left her quivering, and she took a deep breath in through her nostrils, the scent of dinner tickling her senses. Her mouth watered as Bruce set a plate down in front of her, the casserole looking absolutely delicious. David speared a mushroom and held out his fork to her, and she smirked a little at him before opening her mouth and accepting the morsel.

"Our daughters are good cooks." She nodded and then began to eat once more, going a little more slowly this time, watching him as they ate. Their conversation fell by the wayside, as it often did while they ate, contentment with being together outweighing the need to speak. When they had finished, the door creaked open once more and Tabitha brought out their dessert.

"I hope you enjoy your crème brûlèe. Bruce wouldn't let me fire it, he said that we didn't need the fire department here on a romantic night like tonight." Erin laughed a little as she shook her head and then kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Just leave the dishes here when you're done. We know that you two will disappear as soon as you're finished."

A bright blush stained Tabitha's cheeks as she scurried from the room and Erin shared a tender look with her husband. "They know us too well, my love."

"That they do, Erin." They ate the decadent dessert and she groaned in pleasure as she swallowed the last bite.

"I am much stuffed, David. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Erin." Together, they stood, and she clasped his hand tightly as they went upstairs to their bedroom. On the nightstand next to her side was a bouquet of red roses, and she naturally drifted over to them, sniffing them delicately. "There are thirty there. One for each year I've known you."

Bright tears clouded her eyes as she whirled around to face him. "I love you, so much," she whispered out as she wrapped her arms around his waist and found his lips, kissing him passionately. Soon, all was lost in the flurry of hands and mouths and moans as she welcomed him into her body, relishing the heavy weight of his body atop hers, anchoring her to the present, guiding her to the future.


	46. Reid, Strauss, Blake

Reid sighed as he woke up the next morning. Another Valentine's Day had come and gone, and he was alone. Which really shouldn't have bothered him, since he knew that one didn't need to have a partner to be fulfilled. But there was still a pang of loneliness that struck at his breast, refusing to leave him be.

He jumped a little when his phone rang, and he answered without looking at the display. "Hello?"

"Hi, Spencer. James still hasn't returned from his shift yet, I think he might have been roped into pulling a double, what with his colleague breaking her leg, and I was wondering if you'd like to go to breakfast with Erin and me. Well, more like brunch by the time I get over to her house and pick her up."

A bright smile crossed his lips as he thought about that prospect. He knew that Alex was making the effort to pull Erin back into life outside of her house, and he couldn't turn down the opportunity to acclimate her to the outside world once more. "That sounds wonderful, Alex. What time are you going to swing by?"

"Well, let's see, it's just after nine right now, I still have to get to Rossi's and drag her out with me, and then another thirty minutes to get to you. I'd say about 10:30?"

"All right, I'll be ready and waiting."

"Thanks!"

She hung up before he could reply and he chuckled lightly before slipping out of bed and padding over to the bathroom. While he showered, he thought about the morning ahead of him, wondering what they would talk about. He had a number of questions for Erin, about her time with Emily, since he knew that his friend had stayed with them rather than at a hotel, about why she had decided to come out of hiding now, and about trust.

Getting out, he patted himself dry before heading back to his bedroom and pulling on khakis and a sweater. Glancing at the clock, he found that he had close to forty minutes before Alex would arrive, so he went out to the sofa, sitting down with his phone and playing through his games. He gasped audibly when he saw that Erin had pulled ahead of him in two of their three games, and he searched the board for the best places to play, hoping to take back the lead. He managed to do so with one game, but not the other, which still gave her an edge.

Once he was finished, he set the phone aside and then picked up the book he was reading. He had started to take Emily's advice and was slowing down his reading, trying to find the meaning behind the words, to find a connection with them. He had also started to read more popular fiction, just a little, as Alex had requested. Currently, he was focusing on the _Song of Ice and Fire_ series, finding himself intrigued by the tone. He found himself empathizing with House Stark, even though he knew it was probably a futile endeavor.

Vaguely, he heard a knocking on his door, and he closed the book, setting it aside before standing and slipping the phone in his pocket. Ambling over to the door, he opened it to see Erin standing there, a shy smile on her face. "Good morning. I'm sorry I kept you so long, David and I were up rather late last night, and I had forgotten that Alex want to have breakfast with me this morning."

Reid chose not to comment on the deep blush that stained her cheeks as he nodded and tugged on his coat. "I was reading, so you're fine." After locking his door, he took hold of her arm and led her downstairs. "How are the cravings this week?"

She sighed lightly, but he could still hear the miniscule amount of defeat there. "I'm doing better than I thought I would be, given the danger that Jennifer was in. It helped to have Jessica and Jack at the house during that whole ordeal, though. There was something about that dear boy that made me want to stay on the narrow path. And you?"

He shrugged, not looking at her, but still managing to feel her frown in the way that she moved closer to him, her arm wrapping around his waist. "There have been a few bobbles. I haven't sought out anything to ease away the demons, but they still claw at me. They still try to tempt me into doing something that would destroy everything I've worked so hard to rebuild."

"Oh, Spencer," Erin breathed out as she stopped them on the landing. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were sparkling with tears. "If you ever need someone to talk to, just call me. I understand your demons, they're mine as well."

He nodded and without thinking leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. She smiled, then, and reached up to pat his chest. It was as if she were trying to gather her emotions and he pulled her into a tight hug as they both took long, deep, breaths. When the moment had passed, he hooked his arm around her waist and they finished their walk down to the car in companionable silence.

Once they were next to Alex's car, she turned to him once more and looked at him questioningly. "Yes, Erin?"

"Would you mind sitting in the back? I sort of want to be up front."

"That's fine, Erin." He reached up and smoothed her hair. A smile spread across her face as she slipped into the front seat, and he climbed in the back, settling into his seat. Alex started the car as soon as his door was closed, and he groaned a little as rap music started blaring out of the speakers. And then, Erin started in with Alex, copying the words, even as she stumbled over some of the phrasing. "Does Rossi know you do this?" he asked.

"Nope. And we're going to keep it that way, okay?" He met her eyes in the rearview mirror, and she smiled at him as she cocked up one eyebrow. All he could do was nod and listen as she and Alex tried to keep up with the artist. This could be a very interesting car ride.


	47. Jessica, Erin

Jessica sighed a little as she found herself alone in her apartment Sunday morning. She had expected to keep Jack over the weekend, since Aaron had wanted to be alone and she didn't blame him there. Then, last night, he had shown up on her doorstep and asked Jack to come home with him. Aaron's eyes had been red-rimmed, and she had wanted to comfort him, but had pulled back at the last moment.

Letting out another sigh, she slipped out of bed and padded over to her closet, looking for something to wear. As she continued to look, she heard her phone beep, and she went over to her nightstand, looking at the display. _Come to church with us this morning, Jess._

A small smile spread across her face as she read the message from Erin and nodded, even though she was alone. _That sounds nice. Where do you meet?_

It didn't take long to get a reply, and Jessica quickly got ready, pulling on a nice skirt and sweater. She had no idea if she should dress real fancy or not, so she went middle of the road, hoping that she looked nice enough.

By the time she had arrived at the church, the service had already started, and she felt decidedly out of place. And then, Erin turned back to look for her, meeting her eye and motioning her over to their pew. "Sorry I'm late," she whispered in the woman's ear as she sank down into the pew.

"You're fine, Jess." Erin clasped her hand softly as Dave peeked around to smile at her. It was only when he did that that she recognized a familiar dark head. The breath left her lungs, and she barely recognized Erin's fingers tightening around hers. "Dave invited him, figuring that we would need to get him out of the house. Jack's on the other side, between Aaron and Penelope."

Dumbly, Jessica nodded, wondering what was going on. She felt like there was some sort of test that she was supposed to pass, but she had no idea what the rules were. Looking into Erin's eyes, though, she saw nothing but caring and kindness. Relaxing a little, she scooted a little closer to her friend, making certain that their arms touched from shoulder to elbow.

The service was lovely and peaceful, and Jessica found herself slightly shocked that she hadn't let go of Erin's hand the entire time. "Sorry about that," she murmured as they stood, and Erin shook her head before hugging her tightly.

"Never apologize for needing comfort. I'm learning how to accept and give affection freely once more, after a very long dormant period." She pulled away from Erin and smiled at her as soft tears filled her eyes.

Penelope and Derek came over to Erin at that moment, and she smiled when she saw their still clasped hands. "Hey, Jess! Pretty soon, Rossi will have everyone coming to this service with him. I guess he just can't get enough of us!"

Dave shook his head as he smiled tenderly, his arm coming to rest around Erin's waist, tugging her close. "There was a time when I thought that I saw entirely too much of you. Now, I know that there is going to come a time when…"

His voice trailed off and Erin rested her head on his chest, her eyes closing. "Is everything okay, Dave?" Aaron asked as he joined their group in the aisle.

"Just feeling a little maudlin today, Aaron. You know how it goes."

Even though Jessica wasn't a profiler, she could tell when someone was avoiding the subject. Aaron also seemed to pick up on the subtle subterfuge, as he frowned at his friend. She was distracted by Jack throwing his arms around her, hugging her close. "Aunt Jessica! We're going out to eat with Uncle Dave and Aunt Erin. Are you going to come with us, too?"

She looked up quickly, first to Aaron and then to Penelope. Both of them were smiling, and she felt a little more at ease. "Sure, that sounds like fun."

Erin winked at her a little before letting go of Dave and pulling out her phone. "Well, I'll have to call ahead and let Jean Paul know we're up to eighteen today. I'll meet you out in the car, darling." Leaning up, she kissed Dave's cheek before leaving their group, her free hand reaching out and grabbing hold of Jessica's, tugging her along. "I didn't know that you liked Aaron," she murmured once they were outside and heading towards their cars.

"I don't. I have no idea what you're talking about." The lie sounded off to Jessica's ears, and she watched Erin frown a little at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Erin reached out and caressed her arm softly before slipping into her car. "We'll see you at Vivant in twenty minutes."

There was a secret, knowing, smile on Erin's face, and Jessica was certain that she was reading more into her lie than what she really felt. Though she had to admit that it felt nice to have others consider her as a viable match for Aaron. She just didn't know if the first tender feelings that she was having would turn into something more. "Erin, wait!" she finally blurted out.

The woman peeked her head out of the car and gave her a soft smile. "Yes?"

"Are there any men that you could introduce me to? I haven't been out on a proper date in months. Jack has, and always will, come first, until Aaron finds someone who can look after him."

Erin gave her a searching look and she felt herself blush under the scrutiny. "I'll see what I can do, Jessica. You just have to decide what it is, exactly, that you want."

She nodded slowly and waggled her fingers at the older woman, finding herself caught up in thoughts of a future that she wasn't entirely certain she would want, if it were in her grasp. Erin was right, she did need to decide what she wanted, and soon. Otherwise a happy future could slip through her fingers as easily as sand.


	48. JJ, Will, Blake

"Good morning, _cher_. Do you have to go in to work today?"

JJ sat up and stretched, smiling sadly at her husband. "Yes. I've been off long enough, my skin is itching to get back in the thick of things. I just need everything to be normal again, you know?"

He nodded slightly before hoisting himself up on his elbow and kissing her sweetly. Since her ordeal he had been so accommodating of her, trying to make certain that she was coddled, held close. It was starting to grate on her nerves a little, since she didn't like being treated like a porcelain doll. But there was a small part of her that relished being taken care of in such a manner.

"Jay, you know that you still have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before they allow you in the field. Are you going to be up to that?"

She hadn't really thought about that, even though she knew it was true. Somehow she had pushed that little detail to the back of her mind. "I think so. They train us to do what's necessary and then to be okay with the aftermath."

He frowned deeply at her, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair before hooking his hand around her neck and pulling her in close to him, kissing her softly. "No one is ever prepared for torture, _cher_. I know you haven't told me what they did to you, but from your nightmares I know that they hurt you terribly."

She nodded before hugging him tightly. "They did. But…"

"I know. I know what you told to the doctor. You were very brave, Jay." He kissed her cheek a little before pulling her down next to him. She wanted to protest, knowing that she had to get moving, but it felt so nice to burrow in close to him and breathe in his scent. There was something so soothing about that move, and while she knew it couldn't last forever, that the cracks would show up in their marriage once more, once she had found solid footing again, she would be leaving him behind, finding her solace with someone else, it was still nice to just be for the moment.

"I have to go, Will."

"I know. Have a good day, Jay."

"I'll try." She leaned in to kiss him once more, pouring all her emotion into it. And then she slipped out of bed, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a pair of slacks and a jersey shirt, quickly slipping into them before padding out of the room and down to the kitchen.

It didn't take long to fix a bagel and brew some coffee, and once that was done, she headed out to the garage. On the drive in to work, she thought about what it would be like to return to work. While everyone had been so kind at Rossi's, since everything had still been so fresh and raw, she knew that that could change in the cold light of a new dawn, when they had had time to reflect on what had happened.

She was pulling into her parking spot before she knew it, and she paused when she realized that she had no idea really how she'd gotten to work. JJ knew that there was such a thing as autopilot, but she also knew that it wasn't something good. Shaking her head, she slipped out of her car and made her way over to the elevator.

"JJ! Wait up!"

Tensing a little, she turned to look at Alex, not certain if she should smile or frown. She was almost certain that her face was contorted into a grimace by the way that Alex blanched. That was what shocked her into waving at the woman and an easy smile spread across her face. "Hi."

"I didn't realize you were coming back so soon, you went through so much…" The older woman's voice trailed off as she seemed to realize what she had said, and then she was biting her lip uncertainly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Will practically told me to stay home today, as well. I'm ready for this. I have to be ready for this. I mean, I've shot a man between the eyes before, and I bounced right back. This will be nothing."

And then, without warning, she burst into tears. Vaguely, she heard Alex's purse drop to the ground with a dull thud before the woman wrapped her in a tight hug. "You can still go home, Jen. No one will look down on you for that, I promise." Her hands were so soft and soothing on her back and JJ let her hold onto her.

"How come you couldn't be like that with those girls last year?" she whispered, saying the first thing that came to her mind.

"I was never comfortable around children. When James and I were told…" Again, her voice trailed off, and JJ felt bad for even asking. "Well, that's another sad story for another day. We need to focus on you. Now, do you want me to take you up to the bullpen, or do you want me to take you home?"

"Could you take me out for coffee?" It was the first thing that came to her mind. "I mean, I don't want to go home. And I know that if I go up there, Penny will hover over me, and right now, I don't think that I could handle that, you know?"

Alex nodded and squatted down to pick up her purse before leading JJ over to her car. "I know precisely what you mean. She has only your best interest at heart, but you still feel overwhelmed by her at times."

JJ smiled at the apt description of her friend. "She does mean well, though."

"Oh, I know. It's just that Erin is more my speed these days. We've finally come to an understanding, and our friendship is heading in a wonderful direction. I hope that we can be as close as you and Penelope are, someday."

It was high praise coming from the woman, and JJ breathed in deeply, trying to stem the newest bout of tears that threatened to fall. "Perhaps," was all she could murmur as she got in the passenger seat, resting her head against the back of seat and letting the music surround her as Alex drove.


	49. Morgan, Reid, Blake

"Hey, Reid, do you have a moment?" Derek looked over at the younger man, hoping that he wouldn't be so engrossed in the case that he would be able to talk to him. He looked up from the file in his hand and gave him a small nod. "Thank God," he muttered, beckoning him to his side.

"What do you need, Derek?" Reid asked as he sat down in the chair next to him.

"Do you think there's something a little, I don't know, off about JJ? She just doesn't seem like her usual self."

Reid shrugged a little before looking down at his hands. "Wouldn't you feel a little off if you had just gone through what she did? I mean, did you see her when she came out of the building? I understand needing to seem like you're okay. But it is never okay."

The vehemence in Reid's voice startled Derek and he nodded as he slowly sank down onto a free spot atop the desk. "Then why is she back here so quickly?"

Reid cocked his head to the side and just stared at him. After a little while, Derek began to feel uncomfortable with the question he had asked, even though he still wasn't any closer to an answer. "She came back so quickly because she needed to prove to herself that she was normal, that this hadn't really affected her in any way. She needs to know that she can still do her job and not be affected by events. It's not true, you know. She is affected by her ordeal, just as I was affected by mine. They drugged her."

"I'm sorry?" Derek stared back at Reid now, unwilling to comprehend what he had just heard.

"I saw the needle marks in the crook of her elbow. I don't know what they gave her, but she was forced to take a substance against her will. And I know that she's not really coping all that well with what happened to her, given that she and Alex were late yesterday. Hotch held the meeting and takeoff so that they could talk. He's worried, too."

He felt a hard lump form in his throat as he looked over at Hotch and JJ, huddled close together. There was something akin to both father and lover in the way that he protectively hovered his hand just above her shoulder, in the way he stood close, as if offering her shelter from whatever storm she was facing. "I think we all are, kid. She's been through a lot in the last few years."

"Haven't we all," he muttered darkly, and Derek whipped his head around to look at him. "Some of it was her own doing, you know."

A small flicker of anger flamed to life in Derek's chest and he narrowed his eyes at Reid. "No. I don't know. Why don't you enlighten me, kid?" He knew that his voice was dangerously low, controlled, and that Reid would not be able to ignore that. And indeed, he saw the younger man flinch as he shrugged, looking away from JJ and Hotch to stare at a spot on Derek's chest.

"She shouldn't have gone to the Middle East. She was pregnant," he said dully.

"What?"

"No one else knew, but, well, I sort of know all the cycles of everyone, since my memory and all." There was a bright red blush staining his cheeks. "She and Will had been trying, I overheard her mention that to Garcia, and when I noticed that she'd missed her cycle two months in a row, I knew that they were expecting. She must have lied to cover that up, since I don't think the military would let a pregnant woman come that close to the fighting. And when she came back to us then, she was different. And she had betrayed me. And I can't help but judge her."

The last words were soft, heartbroken, and Derek sighed a little as he reached out to rest his hand on Reid's shoulder. "I know what you mean. I wasn't very happy with that decision, either. But do you still judge her?"

There was a long pause before Reid gave an almost imperceptible nod. "She's not happy with Will. I don't understand why you would stay with someone that makes you unhappy. Life is too short to be shackled like that."

"They do have Henry."

"That didn't stop my father from leaving. At least Jayje would have us to fall back on. My mother had no one. Just me." He let out a long, deep, breath and Derek tightened his hand around his shoulder. "I don't want her to be unhappy, even if it does mean that she ends up with Hotch and breaks a few people's hearts."

"Excuse me?"

"You haven't noticed? Both Jessica and Penelope have crushes on him. And what woman wouldn't, honestly? He's the perfect archetypal male – nurturing, strong, solid."

"And he doesn't realize the predicament he might be finding himself in."

They both looked up at Blake, and Derek relaxed a little when he saw that she was smiling. "Really?"

"Really. He's still reeling from Beth's horrid behavior after JJ was hurt. He doesn't see that there are a few women here pining after him. There's a pool."

"Of course there's a pool. What are the odds?" Derek leaned in conspiratorially, glad to have something pleasant to focus on, rather than the hurt evident in JJ's features. Hotch was taking care of that at the moment, anyway.

"Five hundred to one for Penelope, two hundred to one for Jessica, and fifty to one for JJ."

"Why so low for Jayje?" Reid asked. "Is she the sure bet?"

Blake nodded. "I think it's a forgone conclusion that they end up together, and so does Dave. Erin's holding out for Penelope or Jessica."

"She always did like the longshot. Well, I'm throwing my hat in for JJ, too," Derek said softly, trying to ignore the little prick of jealousy at knowing his Baby Girl had better odds of ending up with Hotch than Jessica did. He couldn't focus on that now, not when they had a case to work.


	50. Dave, Erin

Dave plopped down on his bed and rubbed his hand over his face. This was turning out to be a long, horrible, case, and he wanted nothing more than to be home with Erin, in her arms, listening to her breathe as she slept next to him. She always curled in close, under his chin, her hands spread out on his back. Sometimes, when she was dreaming, she would murmur to him, or about him, and he found himself loving her all the more for that.

He had just stretched out on the mattress when his phone rang, and he smiled a little when he saw Tabitha's name on the display. "Hey, munchkin. What's up?"

"Karen got the results."

His hand tightened around the phone and he fought the urge to yell into the phone. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked, "And?"

"Well, her and Momma are celebrating. The egg took this time, Papa Dave. I won't be the youngest anymore!"

Tears stung his eyes as he grinned widely. "Tell me that again, munchkin."

"You're going to be a father, Papa. I think I'm going to drop your name, so that the baby calls you Papa, rather than by your name. Is that okay?"

"It is perfectly fine, my sweet Tabitha. Now, is my wife right there?"

"Of course she is. Just one second."

Over the open line, he heard Tabitha whispering to Erin, and then he heard the familiar sound of his wife's breathing. "Tabby wanted to be the one who told you. I hope that you don't mind, Daddy."

"No, I don't, Mommy. Oh, Erin, this is our greatest wish come true. I love you."

"I love you, too, my dearest heart. I, I can't wait until you're home. I miss you so much, and not being able to share this news with you in person makes my heart ache. Do you think that it will take much longer to close this case?"

He could hear the loneliness in her voice and he longed to wrap his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest as he rubbed her stomach tenderly. Groaning a little, he scooted back so that he rested against the headboard and tried to think less arousing thoughts. "I hope that we can make a break in the case tomorrow. I feel like we're close to something, but I can't quite see it."

"And how are you feeling?"

Dave paused for a moment, wondering how to answer her question. He knew that she wanted the truth, but he wasn't certain that she would like the truth he would give her. "I'm tired," he finally replied, sighing a little. "That's normal, though, what with the hours we work."

"And I'd like you to take some time off. You need to rest." He could hear the tears in her voice, and Tabitha must have as well, since he heard her murmur something to Erin. "I'm fine, sweetie. Head up to bed, okay? I'll probably be talking with David for a little while yet. Love you, precious."

"Tell her I love her, too, cara."

As he listened, Erin complied with his wishes before kissing her daughter. "All right, David, tell me what's really going on."

She would be after him until he spilled the truth, and so he nodded, feeling himself choke up a little. "I am more tired than usual. It's been this way since the New Year. The doctor said there's nothing wrong with me, and I've been trusting that for now. I would love to rest in you for a few days, but if JJ breaks down, which I'm certain will happen soon, they'll need me out on the field."

"I don't want you to die before you become a father, Davie."

The use of his nickname told Dave how close she was to losing it, and he drew in a deep breath. "I don't want that either, cara." The first tears slipped down his cheeks, and from the sound of Erin's breathing, she was crying, too. "Do you want me to come home?"

"No, I want you to do what you have to. I don't want to stifle you, I know you'll chafe under that."

He shook his head. "Erin. Listen to me, now. Tell me what you want."

She took a deep breath. "Fine," she bit out, "I want you to come home now, slip into bed with me, and not get up for the next two weeks. I want to pamper you, take care of you, and hover over you. I want you to cover my face in kisses, to run your hands over my body, and to make love for hours. I want you away from the office, away from your stressors. I want to go to the cabin and take long walks with Mudgie and you before we curl up in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate for me and whiskey for you. And I can have none of those things. Because I know that you'll be itching to get back to work within the first three days."

She was openly sobbing by this point, and he hated that he had ruined a happy time for them by pushing and prodding at her. "I'm coming home," he said quietly, feeling a certain amount of resolve stiffen his spine. "I'm coming home to you having a bag packed for us, ready to go to the cabin, and we are going to spend two weeks together. We are going to leave our cell phones at home, and if it is something really important, they can call, and Tabitha can screen the calls to see if we need to be contacted. Which she can do over Facebook. All right?"

It took a while for her to respond, but he just kept listening for her voice. "Come home in the morning, David. You're tired, and need your sleep. And I'll need time to get packed. I'm sorry I'm so selfish, beloved."

"You're not selfish, you just love me. Just as I love you. And I do love you, Erin. I will see you very soon."

"I'm going to hold you to that, David. I love you and will look forward to seeing you soon." She hung up then, and he knew that she was getting to the end of her control. He only hoped that she would crawl into bed and sleep, since he knew that solved so many of her problems. And suddenly, he didn't feel so exhausted, knowing that very soon he would be in the arms of his beloved.


	51. Blake, Hotch, team

"Hotch, where did Dave disappear off to?" Alex asked when she noticed that the man had yet to make an appearance that morning. The others had already grabbed breakfast and were huddled on the sofa in front of the fireplace, no doubt talking about the current case. Deep in her bones, she could feel that they were close to making an arrest, and she wanted to share that with him.

"He went home early this morning. He said that Erin needed some time with him, that she was feeling lonely."

Alex nodded as she sat down next to him, picking up the coffee carafe and pouring herself a cup. "Did you hear anything about Karen?"

He shook his head and she frowned a little, wondering if she had missed a text from Erin or not. Pulling out her phone, she saw the text she had been waiting for, and smiled widely. "Did you just get some good news?"

"Well, it appears that we'll need to organize a baby shower in the near future," she said lowly just as her phone started to ring. "One second, it's Penelope. Hello?" she answered.

"Eeeee! Did you hear? Rossi's going to be a daddy!"

"Yes, I did, and I am just as excited as you are, but we need to focus on the case, all right?"

"All right, but we are so taking all the girls out as soon as they get back."

"Sounds good, Penelope. Talk to you later." She hung up and shook her head a little before sipping at her coffee. "What?" she asked, a little too shortly, as Hotch stared at her.

"Did you just say that Erin's pregnant?"

This caused her to burst out into uncontrollable giggles. "I think you missed a conversation somewhere in the last two weeks, Hotch. Her oldest daughter, Karen, is going to be a surrogate for them. The first round of IVF didn't take…"

"That's completely normal. We went through four rounds before Haley's body accepted a fertilized egg. It's heartbreaking, to want a baby, to plan for a baby, and then find those hopes are dashed."

Alex reached out and rested her hand on his, unable to look him in the eye. "James and I were never blessed with children. I think that was for the best, seeing how I react to them when I'm out in the field. But I always did want to give my father a little girl to spoil."

Aaron turned his hand over so that he was clasping her hand, giving it a few gentle squeezes. "Dreams have a way of getting down through our bones, worming their way into our hearts. I want Jack to have siblings someday, but I know that I'm not getting any younger, and the horrors that I'm seeing lately make me question why I would want to bring another innocent life into this world."

"Dave and Erin are doing it. They're defying what they know to be true of human nature in order to say that they believe in a better tomorrow. I envy the fact that she'll have four children to carry on her legacy."

Aaron's hand tightened almost painfully around hers, and she finally met his eye. There was such respect shining there that she couldn't keep from smiling, even if it did wobble a little. "I never thought I would hear you say that of her, Alex."

"Time changes everything, or so I'm finding out." She released his hand so that she could take a long drink of coffee, relishing the way the warmth washed down her throat, waking her up little by little. "So, where did they go?"

"I don't know, Dave wouldn't tell me. All I know is that they're leaving their phones behind, and that Tabitha is screening their calls. Only life or death is getting through to them."

"Does that include his editor?"

Aaron let out a loud laugh at her wry question, shrugging a little. His reaction caused the others to look over at them, and JJ frowned a little. Alex waved them over and Morgan was the first to amble over to them. "That sounds a little too happy for this early in the morning. What's made you laugh?"

He sat down on the edge of the table, his chin coming to rest on top of her head. The heavy weight comforted her a little and she leaned back a little, letting him surround her. The others gathered round as well, and she watched the protective way Spencer rested his hand on JJ's elbow. "We get to prepare Dave for all the wonders of fatherhood."

"What? When did that happen? I didn't think that Erin could…" Morgan tightened his hands on her shoulders a little and she laughed as she twitched them, letting him know that the grip was just a little too tight. "Sorry, Alex."

"You're fine. And no, Erin is not carrying the baby. They're using a surrogate. Now, we should probably keep it under wraps for the next ten weeks, I know that things can go wrong in the first trimester."

"Yeah, they can." JJ's voice was low and sad, and Alex reached out blindly towards her. JJ took hold of it, threading their fingers together. "But that's great news for them." The fingers tightened, and she squeezed back, wanting to offer what comfort she could to the younger woman.

"I wonder if they'll let us help pick out names?" Spencer wondered aloud.

"Why, did you have some ideas, kid?"

"Maybe." Spencer blushed a little before opening his mouth once more. "I mean, Xavier is always a good choice for a boy. Xavier James, to honor his son, too. If it's a girl, Lilia Joy would be nice."

"You have given a lot of thought to those names, haven't you, Spence?" JJ asked, her free hand grabbing hold of his.

"Yeah. Mom always told me that names have power, they define us from birth. I sort of made up a list of names for all of us, in all our possible combinations, if anyone ever asked. I know, it's stupid."

"No, it's not, Spence. It's lovely." JJ gave him a wide smile and then sighed. "When we have another baby, you'll have to tell me your ideas. Okay?" He nodded and Alex rested her head back against Morgan's broad chest, feeling a bit overwhelmed with emotion. He just rubbed her shoulders tenderly, as if he knew without her saying, exactly what she needed.


	52. Jessica, Anderson

Jessica stared at her phone display, frowning a little. _Can you come over for a little bit? I'm kinda lonely._ The words didn't sound like Erin, but then, she didn't know the woman as well as some of the others did. Deciding to just go with it, she texted her a quick yes and then powered down her laptop before slipping it into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she made her way to the back porch so she could slip into shoes and a coat.

It had once more turned bitterly cold, even though she knew that her best friend in Michigan had it much worse than they did, and she hurriedly buttoned her coat as she felt the west wind blow against her house, sending a chill through her body. "It's almost spring," she murmured as she plucked her keys off the hook and went into the garage.

Gently tossing her laptop bag onto the passenger seat, she opened the garage door and then backed out. Once she was under way, she turned her radio up and began to hum along. After hearing Bastille's latest song, though, her muse ran with an idea for her story, so she muted the music and began to plan out the next chunk of her book, making certain to start recording it so that she didn't lose it. She had done that before, and kicked herself for doing so.

When she got to Erin's home, she saw that there was an unfamiliar car in the drive as well, and she wondered if she had forgotten a luncheon. Picking up her phone, she looked at her calendar and saw that there were no plans on there. Shaking her head a little, she slipped the phone in her pocket before taking hold of her bag and making her way up to the front door, trying not to slip on the ice.

Knocking firmly, she shuffled on her feet as she waited for Erin to answer the door. Only, it was her youngest daughter who appeared as the door opened. "You made it! I needed help with my English paper, and Momma said that you and Anderson were the best people to ask."

Tabitha helped her inside, taking her coat and hanging it on the tree before tugging her into the kitchen. The familiar face of the young man looked up at her, and she gave him a hesitant smile. "I see that you were also roped into this. Little miss here seems to think that we are her personal writer and researcher."

"Hey, at least I'm feeding you!" Tabitha pouted a little, and Jessica had to purse her lips to keep from laughing. "I've been picking up tips from Papa, since he is such a great cook. I hope you like my lasagna. I modified Papa's recipe so that there would be more cheese in it. Or, are you guys lactose intolerant?"

Jessica smiled as she reached out to pat the girl's shoulder. "I think we'll be fine, honey. So, what do you need help with?"

"We'll eat first, I tend to work better when I'm full, I can concentrate more."

Jessica nodded and took a seat at the island next to Anderson. "It's nice to see you again so soon."

"You, too, Jessica. You can call me Brian, you know. Everyone calls me Anderson, even though my first name is right on my badge."

"Anderson sounds more official. Everyone calls each other by their last name. It took me forever to learn that Morgan was Derek's last name." She gave him a small smile, blushing a little as he smiled back. His eyes were so blue, she noticed, and not at all like Aaron's. For some reason, the thought didn't bother her as much as it might have had he been there.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked, and Jessica realized that she had been staring overly long. Shaking her head, she looked over at Tabitha and found her trying to hide a conspiratorial smile. Shrugging a little, the girl pulled on oven mitts and pulled the dish from the oven, setting it on the trivet in front of them.

"Brian, would you mind cutting this? I'm a bit clumsy when it comes to knives."

Tabitha slipped off the mitts and went over to the fridge, grabbing out a bottle of milk. Jessica recognized it as being from a high end dairy in the Quantico area and wondered if the cheese had come from there as well. If so, they were in for a treat, since that farm made some of the best cheese in the area. Anderson picked out a long knife and began to cut into the lasagna as she poured the milk. Jessica felt a little in the way, and she tried to scrunch down a little.

"Don't," Anderson said softly, setting the knife aside and touching her forearm, causing her to look at him. "You're fine."

His touch was electric, and she smiled nervously at him. "I suppose." He nodded and slid a slab of the lasagna on her plate before filling Tabitha's and then his.

"Do you say grace?" he asked lowly when Tabitha held out her hands expectantly.

"Well, duh. Doesn't everyone?" she replied as she clasped their hands. "Heavenly Father, please bless this food to our bodies, let Brian and Jessica be able to help me get this stupid paper finished, and let Momma and Papa have a wonderful time at the cabin. Thank you for my new little brother or sister, and the fact that this will make our family whole in the most perfect way. Amen."

"Amen," Jessica softly replied, squeezing Anderson's hand softly before letting go. He smiled at her, and she found herself dazzled by his smile. There was something about the man that intrigued her, and while she still found that a small part of her heart was tender towards Aaron, she also found a small part of her heart softening towards Anderson. Maybe she shouldn't have asked to be introduced to other men, since this seemed to just be opening another kettle of fish. "So, Tabitha, what exactly is this stupid paper about?"


	53. Emily, Clyde

Emily rubbed her hand over her face as she leaned back in her chair. It had been a long week, made worse by the unending headache she'd had since Monday. Letting out a soft sigh, she closed her eyes and thought about everything she had to do yet.

Gentle hands began to massage her temples, and she smiled a little as she breathed in the familiar scent of Clyde's cologne. "Ooh, don't stop doing that, it feels wonderful."

"I would imagine that it should. You've been under such pressure lately, Emily." He leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly, making her smile wider. Ever since she had returned from helping to rescue JJ, Clyde had been sweeter, as if he knew that she needed him to show how much he cared for her. "What do you say to getting out of here early today and taking an early supper?"

"That sounds lovely," she whispered before she puckered her lips. He took the hint and kissed her softly before helping her to stand. She let him settle her coat around her shoulders, his hands coming to rest on her hips as he tugged her close. "I do not want to go anywhere tomorrow."

"I can arrange that, Emily." He kissed her once more before slipping his hand into the crook of her arm, leading her from the office and out to the elevators. As they waited for the car, she tapped her foot a little and fought impatience. There were certain aspects of her job that she hated with a passion, and she found herself wishing that she hadn't been so eager to take on the position that Clyde had offered her. There was more paperwork now than when she had been with the BAU, and here she had no Reid to pass it off on. "Penny for your thoughts, luv."

Emily sighed a little as she shrugged. "I guess I'm a little bored. I know that it can't be all action, all the time, Clyde. But I can't help but feel like I'm stifled with so little to do."

"I see."

He sounded hurt, and she pulled away a little to look at him. "What is it?"

"You run when you get bored."

"Oh." His arm fell to his side, and she found that she missed the comfort of it around her waist. "I'm not going to run this time."

"Really? I'm supposed to believe that?"

She fought to tamp down her anger as she turned to face him. The doors opened before she could speak, and they stepped on in unison and she stabbed at the button they needed, then faced him once more. "Clyde Matthew Easter, if you really think so little of me, then I suppose we do not need to go to supper. I'm just fine going back to my apartment and sleeping for the next thirty six hours," she hissed, glaring at him.

His eyes narrowed as his lips flattened into a thin line. "If that's what you want, then fine."

It was the closest he would get to showing his anger towards her, and she defiantly tipped her chin up a tick as she clenched her jaw. "What I want is to get rid of this headache, feel like I'm important, and sleep in my lover's arms. However, I can see now that all three of those wants are going to go unfulfilled this evening."

Blinking back angry tears, she looked away from him to stare at a spot high above his shoulder as she fought not to cry, not to show him how much he had hurt her with his casual dismissal. A heavy silence reigned over the car as they made their way down to the ground floor.

As the doors slid open, she tried to dash out, only to have Clyde pull her back inside, close the doors, and turn the elevator off. This riled her up and she whirled around to glare at him, her chest heaving with the force of her breaths. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"This." He framed her face with his hands and pressed his lips against hers in a bruising, harsh, kiss. At first, Emily fought the kiss, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to her, but it was too overwhelming, and she relented, her arms closing around his waist as she molded herself to his body, thrusting her tongue against his lips so that she could duel with him there.

He chuckled a little against her lips as his hands skimmed down her back to cup her ass and bring her pelvis in against him. She could feel how much he desired her and that was what finally broke through the haze of desire and anger. "I'm not going to leave you," she whispered after she had torn her lips away from his. "I can't leave this. You have to trust me."

"God knows I'm trying, Emily. You haven't really had a great track record when it comes to sticking around, though."

She let out a soft, heartsick, chuckle. "You can thank my mother for that one. She never seemed to want to stick in one ambassadorship for very long. There were always better ones just around the corner, and we were moving once again. It's so easy to just let go when you don't put down roots. Do I belong here, with you?"

"Yes," he whispered before hugging her tightly, the earlier passion cooling to something much different, much sweeter. This time, she let herself cry a little as they embraced. "All right, why don't we change this date to Chinese food in bed while we watch the Yank version of _House of Cards_. That Michael Gill fellow is quite the actor."

"That sounds like an excellent plan, Clyde." He turned the elevator back on and opened the doors, and she cuddled in close, walking in step with him as they exited the building. "Though I'm partial to Kevin Spacey myself. He reminds me a little of you."

He picked up on the gentle teasing in her voice and laughed. "Only you, darling. Only you."


	54. Garcia, Hotch

Penelope found herself missing Erin and Dave as she sat in their pew for Mass. She knew, though, that they had needed the time away to rest and recuperate. Erin had told her just a little about how Dave was feeling, and Penelope knew that the woman was more worried than she had let on.

Still, she found it nice to have Aaron there, Jack at his side, ensconced between them. Glancing over, she smiled softly at him, feeling a warm wave of love sweep over her heart. "And also with you," she replied by rote, standing for the final prayer.

Once Father Steven had said his amen, she relaxed a little, waiting for Aaron to exit the pew. Instead, he surprised her, turning and giving her a smile. "What are you doing this afternoon?"

She blushed a little, shrugging. "I had thought about playing some League of Legends. Or reading a little. Why?"

"Because I want you to come over for lunch!" Jack said excitedly, smiling up at her widely. "Aunt Jessica and Anderson have been over at Uncle Dave's all weekend, and I want someone to talk to."

Penelope looked over at Aaron in surprise, and he shrugged a little. "Oh no, you are not holding out on me, Boss Man. Spill. Are they dating?"

There was a faint blush on his face as he shook his head. "Not that I know of. Tabitha just found herself with the two people who may be more of perfectionists than I am. At this point, I'm betting that she'll do her own homework and never ask for 'help' again."

He was utterly adorable in his use of air quotes, and Penelope couldn't help but giggle a little. "Well, maybe we should help put the poor girl out of her misery. How about we bring takeout over to them? I seem to remember that Rossi has some amazing games to play, Jack."

He gave her a crafty smile as he nodded slowly. "There is that, Aunt Penelope. So, can we, Daddy?"

She fought to keep from laughing at the way Jack turned his eyes up at his father, a pleading look on his face. Aaron's shoulders slumped a little in defeat and he slowly nodded. "I suppose that we could do that, Jackers. What should we bring them?"

"Hamburgers! Ooh, could we stop at Culver's? I love their fries!"

Jack actually started bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, and that was when she began to laugh, draping her arms around him as she tugged him back against her legs. "Why don't I call the others, and we have an impromptu party at Rossi's. After all, while the cat's away…"

"The mice will play," Aaron finished drily, and she nodded, beaming up at him. "All right, I'll get the food for them, you get the food for the others. We'll meet there." He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, causing her to sigh a little. Penelope was certain that she was blushing as he pulled away, taking hold of Jack's hand.

"S-sounds good, Boss Man. We'll see you there," she stuttered as she pulled out her phone and fled from the sanctuary, hurriedly dialing Derek's number. "Sugar Bear! We're having a party at Rossi's this afternoon, and you're invited. Bring Savannah if she's not on call, okay?"

"Whoa, wait up. Why are we descending on Rossi?"

She bit her lip a little, wondering which version of the truth she should give him. "Because Hotch kissed my cheek again, and now I'm not sure that I trust myself around him. Or at least, not at the moment. Please, Der."

"Ah, you know that I could never refuse you, Baby Girl. But what about Sam?"

"What about him?" she asked, a little more sharply than she had intended.

"Well, you're still dating him, aren't you? Or has that changed since Valentine's Day?"

She felt her blush grow more pronounced as she took a deep breath. "No, that hasn't changed in the last week. We're still dating. It's just, well, it's complicated. Hotch has been my friend since forever, you know that. He's always stuck up for me."

"And I haven't?" he asked, trying to tease her.

"You know what I mean. We click, on that sweet, brother-sister level, even if we do flirt more than is healthy. Aaron and I, though, that's a different ball of wax. And I know that Jayje has a crush on him, so I don't want to get in the way of that, she's already been upset with me once this year because of that."

Penelope heard a soft cough behind her, and she whirled around to stare in horror at Hotch, a strangled gasp slipping from her lips. "Baby Girl? Penelope? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Everything is fine. Listen, can you call Blake and Reid? Have them pick up my usual from Culver's. I, I might be late getting to Rossi's." Aaron went to catch her arm when she spun away from him, almost running out the doors and to her car.

"Penelope! Wait!" she heard him call out just as she reached her car, and she shook her head, slipping inside and locking herself inside. Her hands were shaking as she struggled not to cry.

Someone knocked on her window, and she glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Jack standing there, a frown on his face. Sighing, she opened the door and held out her arm to him. "Are you mad, Aunt Penelope?"

"Oh, precious, no. I just embarrassed myself."

"Okay, well, Daddy sent me to ride with, to make sure that you end up at the right place. All right?"

Jack gave her one of his winning smile and she found that she couldn't resist smiling back. "That's fine, sweetie. Get in."

He threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I love you!"

"I love you, too, precious," she whispered in his ear as she rubbed his back in small circles. Hearing a throat clear, she looked up into Hotch's eyes, trying not to shiver at the way his gaze pierced her. "Everything will be okay." Though her words were directed towards Jack, Aaron was the one who nodded, and she let out a long breath as she realized that the time for talking would come much sooner than she liked.


	55. Alex, Penelope, Jessica

Alex couldn't help but notice the tension that had risen up between Penelope and Aaron. And being the person that she was, she wanted to know exactly what had caused that to happen. She couldn't get Penelope alone, though, so she just watched and waited.

Finally, once lunch was over, she managed to catch the perky young woman's eye and jerked her head over towards the living room. Penelope nodded slightly and they both got up and made their way over to the room. Penelope plopped down on the couch and reached out for her hand, pulling her onto the spot next to her. "At least when I'm talking to you, I don't have to talk to Hotch," she murmured as she rested her head on Alex's shoulder.

"And why don't you want to talk to Hotch?" she gently asked, running her fingers through Penelope's hair. It was nice to sit like this, as it made her feel like she could be talking to her own daughter, if she and James had ever been so blessed.

"Because I made a mistake earlier. I was talking to Derek, inviting him over to this little get together, and I was talking about how JJ has a crush on Hotch, and how he kissed me, again."

"Again?"

Penelope nodded. "Yeah. And no offense, but I wish Erin was here. She's been giving me the best advice, Alex. I just, I'm so conflicted, since I'm still seeing Sam, and I have feelings for Hotch and Derek. My heart is being tugged in three different directions, and I feel like I'm going to break. And that's not a good thing, given the work I do."

"Oh, Penny, perhaps you need to take a quick vacation. Clear your head of everything and focus on who is the most important to you. I know that it won't be easy, but you'll know what to do, I promise."

The younger woman sighed deeply as she cuddled closer. "You and Erin are like the mothers of our group, you know. Maybe I will take a few days off. Would you like to go with me? Perhaps we could go to a spa for pampering."

"And what about JJ? You wouldn't want to leave her out."

There was a slight pause. "We're still not on level ground. And I'm so afraid that, since Hotch did kiss my cheek again, she'll not want to speak to me. I know that she went through a terrible ordeal, and I know that I would let her yell at me and be angry. I just don't want to rock the boat too much. I, I would hate to lose her friendship."

"I understand." They sat quietly for a little bit, and Alex found that she liked holding Penelope close. That there was something comforting about the way the woman trusted her, after the disastrous way their relationship had begun. "All right, let's have a spa day tomorrow. And we'll invite JJ and not tell her anything about today, okay?"

"I suppose. And maybe we could see if Jess wants to come along…"

"Come along where?" the woman in question asked as she joined them in the living room. Taking a seat on the floor in front of them, she smiled shyly, and Alex wondered what was going through her head. "Well?"

"We're taking a spa day. Alex seems to think that we all need to rest and relax for a day, seeing as how Dave and Erin are away. What do you say? Do you want to come?"

"Ooh, you're going to the spa?" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"You have school to go to, missy," Jessica drolly replied. "Brian and I did not just spend all that time working on your paper with you for you to skip school the day it is due."

Tabitha rolled her eyes a little. "You sound exactly like my mother, Jessie. You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Oh, honey, no. No. I have a feeling that your mom would be glad to know that I'm encouraging you to be responsible. When you get to be an adult, you can't always play hooky."

"I suppose. Do you think I'll get an A on my paper?"

Jessica smirked as she patted the spot next to her, welcoming Tabitha by her side. "If you get anything less than an A, we'll just have to have a little chat with your teacher."

Tabitha grinned as she snuggled in close to Jessica, and Alex had to wonder at what point they had become so close. It really was amazing how much like a large, extended, family they were becoming, and she sighed a little as she tugged on Penelope's hair. "Or, I could…no. Never mind. Erin would kill me, and I rather like the advice that she gives. But if your teacher should fail to listen to reason, I might be able to dig up some dirt on them."

"That would be awesome, Penny!" Tabitha's smile widened as she rested her head on Jessica's shoulder. "Now, why are we hiding out in here? Are we avoiding someone?"

Alex felt Penelope stiffen slightly beside her. "No one. Why would you think that?"

"Because of how you reacted just now. So, spill. Are you avoiding Aaron or Derek? Because either one of them are yummalicious."

"And they're old enough to be your father!"

Tabitha quickly shook her head. "Uh uh. Daddy is six years older than Momma, so unless they're almost sixty, that ain't happening. Besides, a girl can look and dream. Right?" Penelope nodded and Alex couldn't hold back her smile. "So, tell me, which one do you like?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say both," Jessica replied before clapping her hand over her mouth. "Sorry!" she squeaked out.

"It's fine."

A familiar throat cleared behind them, and Alex knew that the time had come for Hotch and Penelope to have their little chat. "All right, why don't you let me take a look at your paper, Tabitha. I can be the final read through."

Tabitha nodded and jumped to her feet, helping Jessica up. "That sounds great, Alexandra. Come on." The girl grabbed hold of her hand and led her from the room. Alex just hoped that Penelope was still speaking to her come tomorrow.


	56. Will and JJ

Will woke up first that morning, and he used the opportunity to watch the way his wife slept. There was still this defensive air about her, as she slept curled up in a ball, trying to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible.

Reaching out, he stroked her hair lovingly. She shuddered a little, and he winced, wondering what was going through her head. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek before stretching himself around her body, holding her close as she thrashed around a little. And then, she turned to him, butting her head into his shoulder a little. "Ouch!" he hissed, and her eyes flew open.

"Will! Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked as she came to wakefulness.

"I'm fine, _cher_. Were you having a bad dream?"

She looked away from him before scooting closer, her hands spreading out on his back. "That's all I seem to have these days." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he nodded as he held her close, letting her cry on his shoulder. Will loved moments like these, where she let her guard down and trusted him to take care of her. They didn't come very often, since she insisted on being so self-sufficient, which was fine, except when he wanted her to come to him.

"I remember those nights. When I dreamed that I would never return to you and Henry, that you would have to live without me, knowing that your job had finally separated us forever."

JJ stiffened a little in his arms, and he wondered if he had hit a little too close to home for her. She finally sighed and pushed away from him. "Yeah, that's exactly the type of dream I keep having. I should probably go get ready now. We really have to hit the ground running, since Rossi's on vacation."

"We could go, too. Take Henry to Disney World, show him the happiest place on Earth, be a real family for once in our lives."

Again, she stiffened, and he wondered if she was offended by what he had said. "You know that we can't take vacation at the same time. The last time that happened, we had a crazed man attack us. Elle almost died because of that."

"That was before my time, _cher_. And it's not like the whole team is going to go with us to Florida. It would just be us. Our family."

"They are my family, too, Will. Don't forget that." There was palpable anger in her voice now, and she whirled around to glare at him. "Seriously, how many times to do I have to tell you that?"

"It's unhealthy to be that close to your coworkers."

"No, it's not."

"Whatever."

"Exactly. We are not having this conversation before I go to work. You need to think about how I feel and why I am angry right now." Her cheeks were red with fury and as he watched, large tears rolled down her cheeks. Will knew how much she hated crying, and he went to climb out of bed, to go and comfort her, when she shook her head, tugging out the first outfit that fell beneath her grasp in the closet and stalking off to the bathroom.

The telltale click of the door lock told him that he was not welcome, and he expelled a harsh breath. Their bedroom door creaked open and he glanced over to see Henry in the doorway, looking fearfully in. "Hey buddy. What's wrong?"

"I heard Mommy yelling. Is everything okay?"

Will let his shoulders slump as he beckoned his son over to his side. "We were just having a small fight, Hen. Everything will be fine in the end, I promise."

Henry nodded before snuggling in close to him, his hand worrying the fabric of his t-shirt between his fingers. "I miss Aunt Erin. Can we go visit her soon?"

This was a new turn of events, and he ruffled his son's hair lightly as he thought for an appropriate response. "Well, I guess that she's taking a trip with Uncle Dave right now, Henry. So we probably can't go visiting for a few weeks. But say, would you like to take a trip, too?"

Henry pulled away to look at him excitedly. "Really? Where?"

"To Disney World?"

Henry grinned at him as he began to nod. "That would be awesome, Daddy! We could take Jack and Mister Hotch and Aunt Erin and Tabitha and Aunt Penny and everyone! What a great idea!"

Will was very careful to school his features so as not to show his son that he was not happy with his line of thinking. "Well, I was thinking just you and me and Mommy. Wouldn't you like that, too?"

Stubbornly, Henry shook his head. "No! All my friends have to come, too, Daddy! It wouldn't be fun without them!" Henry began to pout and Will felt a lick of anger rush over him.

"They're not family, Henry. You need to understand that!"

JJ cleared her throat lowly from the other side of the room, leaning against the doorjamb. "No. He understands just fine. Friends are family, too. The family we make with our heart, the family not bound to us by blood. If you can't understand that, after all this time with me, maybe we need to take a break."

Her word were flat, lacking emotion, and that was how he knew she was deadly serious. "I don't think…"

"That's right, you don't. Henry and I are going to spend a few days away, I think. We're going to visit some friends." Flouncing over to the bed, she scooped up their son and fled the room. Will followed after her, only to have Henry's door slammed in his face.

"Jen! You open this door right now! Let me in!" he shouted as he banged on the door.

"No!" From inside, he could hear her opening and closing drawers, and he began to wonder just how long she was planning on being gone. Not two minutes later, he got his answer as he saw Henry on her hip, his favorite bear and blanket clutched in his hands. "I will call you when we are ready to come home."

Brushing past him, she made her way down the stairs and Will found that he could only stare after them, wondering how things had gone so terribly wrong in such a short span of time.


	57. Henry, Tabitha

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Tabitha?"

She looked over at Henry and nodded vehemently. "Of course I know what I'm doing! It's just warming up soup. Anyone can do that."

"Uh huh."

The total lack of confidence in the boy's voice should have bothered her, but she found it a bit endearing. "Seriously, I have this handled. I know that I burned the toast this morning, and the grilled cheese sandwiches last night, but this is just soup."

Henry smiled and shook his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I don't think you can do it!" he sang out, and she rolled her eyes. "That's it! I'm telling Mommy when she calls that you are a bad influence on me."

Tabitha stuck her tongue out at Henry, and he just giggled in response. "And I'll tell her that you were replaced by the fae folk, and her new son is nothing but trouble."

His eyes grew wide, and she bit her lip, hoping she hadn't upset him. His lower lip pouted out and that was when Tabitha dropped the wooden spoon into the pot and rushed over to his side, wrapping him into a tight hug. "I'm not trouble, am I?"

"No, I was just teasing you. You are absolutely adorable, and I love having you here. I am so glad that your mom decided to come here for a while. I mean, we have the room, and you get to play video games with me. So, win-win."

He nodded against her shoulder and Tabitha smiled as she let go of him. "When are Uncle Dave and Aunt Erin coming back?"

"Momma and Papa are still going to be gone for at least a week. They needed the time away to reconnect."

"Reconnect?"

"That's the code word for when adults get all mushy and sappy and stuff. And they need to get a lot of reconnecting in before the baby gets here."

"When will that be?" Henry asked as she moved back over to the stove, stirring the soup. She could tell by the way that it was just starting to bubble that it was ready, and she turned the burner off before getting bowls and ladling the soup into them.

"Well, Karen's about three weeks along, so there are thirty seven weeks to go."

"That sounds like a really long time."

Tabitha nodded as she set the bowls on the table, taking a seat. Henry clambered up onto his chair and was just about to dig in when she stopped him. "We have to say grace first," she said lowly before clasping his hand. "Dear God, please bless this food to our bodies and keep everyone that we love safe, especially Miss JJ and the team as they're out on a case right now. Let them find that little girl safe and sound, and bring them back home to us safely. Help me to continue looking after Henry well, and give him the strength to endure me." She heard the boy giggle a little, and she squeezed his hand a little. "And watch over Karen as she grows our little brother or sister, and help Tiffany to take good care of her. Amen."

"Amen," Henry softly echoed, having finally picked up on that. "So, who's Tiffany and when, exactly, is the new baby going to be here?"

She reached out and ruffled his hair lightly before sipping at her water. "Tiffany is Karen's girlfriend."

He wrinkled his nose, and Tabitha wondered what was going through his mind. "I thought it was girls and boys who got together."

"Sometimes. But sometimes girls like other girls, and boys like other boys. And that is okay. God loves us no matter what we do, or who we love."

"Ah. Okay."

His easy acceptance of her explanation made her heart feel fuzzy and she took a spoonful of soup. "And the baby will be here right around Thanksgiving."

"That will be perfect!" he squealed and she nodded, a wide smile on her face.

"It will be, Henry." They began to eat with gusto, and Tabitha thought about all the changes that were happening in her life and the lives of those around her. It was certainly turning out to be an interesting year already, and it was only the end of February. She had no idea what the rest of the year would bring.


	58. Hotch, JJ

"We should have done something, Aaron. Those poor children are going to be bounced from house to house and never find a good, loving, home. We could have taken them."

Aaron cocked his head to one side and looked at JJ. She was close to crying and he found that he wanted to reach out and comfort her. However, given that she was in his hotel room, he didn't think that it would be an appropriate reaction to her. Instead, he patted a spot on the bed next to him, waiting for her to sit down. "I've had this discussion with Emily before. Do you remember that?"

She nodded as she took a seat, curling up close to him and draping her arm around his waist. He let out a tiny huff of breath, and tried to scoot away from her, to put some distance between them. She just moved with him, nuzzling her face against his chest. "We can't become too involved with the people we come in contact with. We lose our objectivity when we do that. But they were babies, Aaron! Their parents just abandoned them!"

And then, she started to cry. Aaron's shoulders slumped in defeat as he rested his hand on her shoulder, rubbing his thumb back and forth. It suddenly occurred to him that she was one of the people that Erin had suggested was interested in him. And with her crying so sadly on his chest, there was no way that he could tell her that she wasn't the one for him. That he found his heart being torn between Jessica and Penelope. To do so when she was so fragile would be uncouth at best, and monstrous at worst. "We know nothing about their history, Jen. We could have done more harm than good. I know that the system isn't perfect, that they might fall through the cracks, but with the lives we lead there is no way we could have welcomed a special needs child into it."

She sniffled a little as she nodded, her hand tightening around the fabric of his shirt. "I know, deep in my heart, that you're right. I just don't like thinking that they don't get the happy ending that Gabby got. All children should be able to believe that there is a happily ever after."

There was a deeper meaning behind her words, and he had to wonder if it had to do with the fact that she and Henry were spending some time at Rossi's. He knew that she had to be feeling the residual effects of her ordeal, and he wondered why he was the one she had decided to fixate on. They had always been such good friends, she had always protected him from Haley, when his wife had been on a tear, intending to read him the riot act. But then, Will had come into her life, and things had changed. The man had made her happy. Or so it had seemed. Ever since the bank heist, he had noticed that the foundation had shifted in that relationship. Maybe that was what had encouraged this crush to develop. "Henry has you and Will," he finally said, squeezing her shoulder gently before pulling away from her once more. "That will ensure he has a happily ever after."

JJ snorted a little as she straightened up, wiping at her cheeks furiously. "That's all you men think about, isn't it? That as soon as we women are in a committed relationship, that we just have to be happy for the rest of our lives! Didn't work out so well for you and Haley, now did it? She left you and the false fairy tale you tried to make out of your life."

He winced a little as her barbed words poured from her lips. "Jen, stop before you say something you regret. Don't put words into my mouth." Letting out a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair and looked down at the floor. "Yes, I thought that Haley would be happy with the life I lead. She knew my drive and ambition from the moment we started dating. And I had thought that we had bonded over the Hell we went through to have Jack. I didn't want to listen to all the statistics that told me a high risk pregnancy would put an incredible strain on our marriage. You were blessed with a perfect pregnancy."

JJ stood up and looked down on him, frowning a little. "I wanted it to be your baby." The whispered words confirmed her crush on him, and just how long it lasted.

"We can't always have what we want. We just have to make do with what we have. And you have a wonderful husband who loves you and Henry very much. Maybe you should think about that while you're hiding out at Rossi's."

As he watched her, he could see the exact moment that she broke. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded before slipping out of the hotel room. Aaron thought about going after her, but knew that that would most likely only make things worse.

Instead, he kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the bed, pulling out his phone and going to dial Dave. It was then that he realized his best friend was without his phone, and he had no way of contacting him. Unless he called the emergency line at the cabin. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he dialed the number only he was privy to and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

It was Erin who picked up, though, and he chuckled lightly with surprise. "Erin. I need to talk to Dave, if it's okay."

"He's actually taking a nap at the moment. We, well, we had an energetic afternoon."

Images of them naked, intertwined, in front of the fireplace of the cabin filled his mind, and he struggled not to groan at the picture. "Ah. I'll just try again later."

"No, wait! I can give just as good advice as he can. And that is what you were calling for, right? Advice?"

He smiled a little as he nodded. "Yeah. I think I pissed JJ off. She has a crush on me."

"That she does. Do you share those feelings?"

It was just like Erin to get right to the point. "No. And I told her as much tonight. She did not react well. I hope that I didn't irreparably damage our friendship. It's just, I'm finding torn between Jess and Penny. Jayje has always been my friend, that I never stopped to look at her that way. I guess I didn't read her signals right."

"That happens, Aaron. I know that your heart will lead you to the right partner when it's time. And let Jennifer cool off for a little bit. Once some of the anger has burned off, she'll be ready to talk to you."

"How can you be so certain?"

"We're chatting on Words With Friends at the moment. I'll try and steer her to reconciliation."

"Thank you, Erin."

"You are most welcome."


	59. Strauss Rossi

Dave kissed Erin's shoulder softly as she hung up the phone. She purred a little before turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a deep kiss. "Mmm, where did that come from?" he asked when she had broken the kiss.

"Aaron was on the phone. It seems that he and Jennifer got into an argument."

"And?"

"I might just win our little bet. He has feelings for Jessica and Penelope. Jennifer is just a friend in his mind. We have to be impartial, though, when we get home. If she's still with us."

"What?"

"Honey, she's living with us until her anger with Will resolves itself. Didn't I tell you that?"

He shook his head before kissing Erin once more, gripping her thigh and tugging it up high on his leg, bringing her in closer contact with him. She moaned a little, wiggling to get closer. "I might just have to punish you for that slip…"

"Hush, David. We only have a few more days here, and I want to focus on pleasure. All right?"

The husky sound of her voice drove him wild and he let his hands slip lower to cup her ass, pulling her even closer. "That sounds even better, cara." He dipped his head so that he could nip and suck on the tendon of her neck, and she buried her hand in his hair, tugging sharply. "What?"

"A tiny bit more talking before we make love. I thought that you were sleeping, otherwise I would have let you talk to Aaron, too. Plus, I need to end my conversation with Jennifer."

She held up her iPad and smiled at him as she sashayed over to the wingback chair, sitting down and throwing her legs over the arm, her foot waving to him as she typed her reply to JJ. There was something effortlessly sexy about her and he couldn't wait to take her upstairs and show her just how much he loved her.

"I can feel your eyes on me, David. Do you like what you see?"

He nodded, and she smirked, letting her left hand play with the top button on his flannel shirt that she had borrowed, claiming that his clothes kept her warmer. "If you keep that up, I might just have to interrupt you."

"Oh, caro mia, we can't have that," she said lowly as she spread the fabric a little, revealing a small part of the pale skin of her chest. Then she went back to typing to JJ, a wicked smile on her lips.

Dave tried not to pay attention to her hands, but found he couldn't, as she kept doing her damnedest to distract him. While she was waiting for a reply, she hitched her skirt up to her waist, showing off her leg and the band of her sky blue panties. And she knew that he was watching, because she plucked the band between her fingers, snapping it against her skin.

"My control is only so strong, Erin. Don't push it."

"Hmm? Sorry, I was dealing with Tabby there, Henry doesn't want to go to sleep tonight, I guess. I told her to make his a glass of warm sugar milk and then read to him." She looked at him over the top of her tablet, and smiled suggestively. "Besides, it's not like you can see anything here." She brought her hand back to her chest and quickly undid the next three buttons on his shirt, letting it gape open to show off the matching bra. His eyes zeroed in on the fact that the sheer fabric did little to conceal that dark pink of her nipples or the fact that they were already standing at attention.

"Oh, I see plenty, Erin. Are you almost ready to head up to bed?"

She shook her head and arched her back a little more, drawing his eyes all the more to her chest. "No, I want to finish playing the rest of my games. I should be ready in about twenty minutes."

He groaned lowly and moved over to her side, kneeling beside her and plucking the socks off her feet. "Well, maybe I'll just have to move you along a little," he murmured as he brought one foot to his mouth, pressing soft kisses to her skin. Involuntarily, she kicked her foot up, and he laughed lowly before sucking her big toe into his mouth.

"Oh, god, David. Stop! I need to concentrate if I'm to keep my lead against Alexandra." There was a slight whine to her voice, and he knew that she was finally getting close to the edge of her control. Pressing on, he laved attention on her toes, watching them curl even as she whimpered in frustration. "Honey, please."

Her voice broke in the middle of her begging, and he obliged her for a moment before sliding his hands up her legs, massaging her calves lightly before creeping up her thighs. Erin sighed lightly, and he knew that she was even closer to letting go. He let his thumbs grave ever so slightly against her core, and listened to her suck in a shallow breath. Not wanting to tease her too badly, he tripped his fingers up to the band of her panties and began to tug them down her legs. "Are you almost finished there, sweetheart?"

"Yes. I'll just play the rest of the games in the morning. I just cannot seem to concentrate." She tried to glare at him, only to break off into a low moan as he slipped one hand back to cup her core. "All right, bedroom."

"Finally," he muttered, helping her to her feet. Dave wasn't surprised to see her weave unsteadily on her feet, her pupils widely dilated with desire. "Do you need me to carry you upstairs?"

She shook her head and placed her hand on his arm, leaning in to him. "No, I'll be fine." She kissed his cheek softly before brushing past him and heading up the stairs, her hips swinging the entire time. Dave chuckled a little as he plugged in her iPad before quickly following after her, a sprightly tune on his lips.


	60. Tabitha, Erin, Penelope

Tabitha tugged on the hem of her blouse awkwardly as she took her place in front of her chair. Their band had drawn the short straw, and was performing first at the Potomac Band Festival, which meant that there wouldn't be too many people there to hear them. Still, she had the second clarinet solo in Bryant's 'Dusk', and she was nervous as could be.

Exhaling lightly, she glanced at their director and saw that the woman was smiling at her. She grinned back and then took a seat, setting up her music. As she was placing her clarinet on its stand, she heard a familiar voice and glanced out into the audience. There, in the fourth row, was everyone she had come to love. She could feel herself grow pale and hurriedly looked back to Ms. Engle, hoping to still see a smile on her face.

The director came over to her, and it was then that Tabitha realized she must have lost all color in her face. "Is everything okay, Tabby?"

"I think so. You know how nervous I can get. And I seem to have a fan club in the fourth row. What if I screw up?"

"You won't. You've had it nailed since our third rehearsal. And you're being doubled by Kim in the thirds, remember. Remember, take the lead in the Grantham, too. You have it." And then her director reached out and tweaked her nose lightly. "I have complete faith in you."

"I'm glad that someone does." She looked away from Ms. Engle to stare at her shoes. She always wore sensible, black, loafers, even though she was short. If it were her up on the podium, she'd be wearing as high of heels as she could stand.

It wasn't until she felt the warmth of her director's hand bleeding through her blouse that she looked back up into her hazel eyes. "With all the work I've done with you, I wish that I could give you some of my confidence. Don't look at them, look at me. I know you have your music half-memorized, anyway."

She blushed a little as she nodded. "I've practiced, a lot. But I just don't want to let you down!"

"Tabitha, the only way you could let me down would be if you're too hard on yourself. I know you don't want the limelight of first chair, which is why I have you leading the seconds. You're better than Nicole, we both know it. Do not be timid, drive the tempo, and play with passion."

"Yes, ma'am." Tabitha gave her a hesitant smile before picking up her instrument. "I suppose I should noodle around now, like the others."

Ms. Engle nodded and moved off to encourage some of the other players while she warmed up a little more. A flash of light caught her eye, and she glanced out to see that Penelope was taking pictures of her. That just ramped up her nerves all the more and she felt her fingers become so cold with nerves. "You can do this, Tabitha Marie," she whispered to herself as she got her music in performance order.

Finally, Ms. Engle got up on the podium and tapped her baton on her stand, bringing them to attention. She straightened up and took a deep breath before smiling at her director. They met eyes and Ms. Engle gave her a gentle smile, the one she reserved just for her. It calmed her nerves immensely, and she listened around her as she played the tuning note, fitting her sound in with those around her.

And then, Ms. Engle was giving them the downbeat for the opening of the Overture from _The Pearl Fishers_, and she was lost in the music. Even the applause was dimmed, as she focused on making music and watching Ms. Engle.

And then she was standing with the others, smiling and breathing short, harsh, breaths. There were tears sparkling in her eyes as she tried to recover from 'Dusk', and she once more saw Penelope taking pictures of them. She tried to get control of her emotions, but then the first tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away.

After they had filed off the stage, she hurried to the band room, cleaning and putting her instrument away before sticking everything in her bag. "You did a great job today, Tabby," Nicole said as she packed up next to her.

"Thanks," she whispered as she slipped into her coat. "Penelope!"

"Kiddo, you didn't tell me you could play that well!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her up into a tight hug.

"Isn't she amazing?" her mom asked as she ruffled her hair lightly. "Tabby, David and I are heading back to the cabin, we'll see you in a week. I love you, precious."

"Love you, too, Mom." She kissed her mother's cheek and watched her leave, Dave waving to her before he wrapped his arm around her mother's waist, pulling her close. They walked in tandem, and she sighed at the sight. "They're so in love."

"You have a crush, too."

She sucked in a deep breath as she shook her head anxiously. "No, I don't."

"Oh, honey, it is too adorable. You know that she's not free."

"Maybe that makes her safer. I would do anything for her."

Penelope chucked her chin lightly before nodding at the woman in question. "Well, why don't you introduce me, then?"

"Fine." They walked over to where Ms. Engle was talking to some of the other students and Tabitha bounced a little on her feet as she waited her turn. Finally, she was free, and she turned to Tabitha, giving her a gentle smile. "My friend, Penelope, wanted to meet you."

"Ah, yes, our little paparazzo. How do you do? I'm Caroline Engle."

"Pleasure to meet you. You put on an amazing concert."

"We try. It helps having talented people to work with."

"That it does," Tabitha interrupted, nudging Penelope with her elbow. "We should probably head out now. I have to look after Henry, since his mother is going out tonight."

"She is? That's news." Again, she elbowed Penelope, and this time, Ms. Engle caught her, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Oh, right. I'll see you back at the house."

Penelope scooted away, leaving them alone, and Tabitha suddenly found herself tongue tied. "Your friend is cute."

"She's dating Agent Hotchner."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh." Tabitha felt her cheeks flush a little and she looked away from her mentor. "Um, are we still on for a lesson Monday after school?"

Ms. Engle nodded before patting her shoulder softly. "Of course. You really did well today, Tabby. I'm proud of you."

This made Tabitha look up and meet her eye. "Really?"

"Really." She hugged Tabitha quickly before stepping away from her. "I'll see you Monday."

Tabitha nodded dumbly before sashaying out of the room. Unsurprisingly, she ran into Penelope near the doors, and she narrowed her eyes at her. "Not a single word, Garcia."

"You are sounding more like your mother every day," she quipped in return, and threaded her arm through Tabitha's, leading her out the door.


	61. Reid and Blake

Reid groaned a little as he was woken by the sound of cooking going on in the other room. Sitting up on the couch, he cracked his back and looked around himself, trying to remember where he was.

"Good morning, Spencer." He looked over at Blake and smiled a little, still feeling bleary with sleep. "Are you going to come to church with us today?"

His little smile turned into a frown as he shook his head. "No, why would I?"

"Because it's a way to bind us together as family and friends. You don't have to believe to go." Her eyes turned sad as she looked away from him and sighed. "And Dave's tired a lot these days. I'm certain that he'd be happy to see us all together."

"Is there something that I should know, Blake?" he asked as he stood and ambled over to her side, and she shrugged. "Has Erin told you something that you're hiding from the team? I couldn't handle another secret right now."

"All I know is that he is tired. Erin hasn't told me any more than that." Blake smiled sadly as she looked back up at him. "So, can you put aside your feelings about religion and join us?"

He nodded before he thought about it deeply, knowing that there was a time for everything, and that this was the time to draw together as a family. "I can. I might even learn something new. Mom was a medievalist, you know, so I know a lot about the early parts of the religion. And I do like the writings of Margery Kemp."

"There you go," she said softly, taking hold of his hand and dragging him into the kitchen. "We'll eat and then I have to get ready. You can use that time and get ready, too."

He nodded and let her lead him to where James was plating up pancakes. He breathed in deeply, loving the scent, and smiled at the man. "Good morning! Has Lexie talked you into going with us?"

Reid nodded and took a seat, picking up his fork and digging in automatically. As he watched, though, he saw that Alex and James were clasping hands and obviously saying grace. He paused a moment, waiting for them to finish up before starting to eat once more. "I didn't realize that this has become a part of your life already."

"Yeah. Erin can be a force of nature, and you don't want to cross her." A faint blush stole across Blake's face as she tucked into her pancakes, using the food to distract herself from the conversation at hand. "So, what did you think of the concert yesterday?"

It was a neat misdirection, but he went with it. "That's an amazing group that Tabitha plays with. I was very surprised at the quality there. They are all high schoolers, right?" Blake nodded. "That makes it even better. I wonder if she's going to continue on past high school?"

Blake shrugged a little. "I think she's going into poli-sci. There's not much need in that for music, now is there?"

He frowned a little as he took a sip of water. "That just doesn't sit right with me. She's so talented, she should pursue that. I wonder if Erin has been encouraging her in one direction or the other?" he mused as he pulled out his phone and called up his Words With Friends app. Going to their first open game, he quickly tapped out a message to Erin. _You need encourage Tabitha to pursue her music. She has too much talent to just let it pass away when she goes to college._

"Feel better now, Spencer?" Blake gently teased him, and he nodded unapologetically. "All right then, help James with the dishes while I get dressed." She stood and kissed her husband's cheek lightly before ruffling Reid's hair as she passed him by.

"She means well," James said as he began to pick up the plates. "But finish eating, these are just going into the washer before we head out." He nodded and finished up his meal. By the time he was done, James had everything squared away, and he pushed away from the table, rubbing his stomach in contentment.

"I'll just slip into the bathroom," he said lowly after he placed his plate and fork in the washer. James nodded absently, and Spencer made a hasty exit, finding his bag sitting next to the downstairs bathroom, and he picked it up as he locked himself inside.

He found that it didn't take long to get dressed, though he did make certain to look nice, for some reason wanting to make a good impression. Letting out another deep breath, he smoothed his hair one last time and then slipped from the room. James and Blake were already by the door, their coats on. "We'll meet you there, okay? Or do you want to ride with us?"

"It might be easier if I ride with you," he mumbled lowly, knowing that if he were to drive himself, he could very well just keep on going. "If that's all right."

"That's fine, Spencer." Blake rested her hand on his upper arm, squeezing gently as she prodded him out into the garage. He clambered into the back of the SUV and thought about the morning to come. He really had no idea how long the service would be, or what would be expected of him. "Hey, where are you?"

Reid looked up into the rearview mirror and found Blake looking at him questioningly. "Just wondering about today. Is there anything I should know?"

"You shouldn't take communion. This is a Catholic church, and they prefer that you are Catholic to receive that Sacrament. It's okay, James and I don't take it yet, either. But I am considering taking the adult classes to become a part of the congregation. There's something soothing about the service, something peaceful that touches my heart after everything we see. I know, it's not logical, Spencer. Sometimes, our hearts do not need logic. We're not Vulcans, after all."

He laughed a little as he nodded, suddenly feeling a little more at ease. "So, you're basically treating it like a more formal get together." Blake nodded in reply, giving him a soft smile. "I think I can handle that. And maybe I can bug Rossi a little, too." Blake laughed lowly as she shook her head, a wide smile on her face. And he knew then, that this was going to be a year of growth.


	62. Karen Strauss, Penelope

Karen thrummed her fingers on her desk as she tried to concentrate on the test in front of her. She had to make it through this, since it was a quarter of her grade, but the morning sickness was kicking her ass at the moment. Even thinking about it made her stomach roil, and she brought her hand to her mouth as she tried to will away the feeling, at least until she was finished.

Her professor touched her arm lightly, and she looked up at her, certain there were tears in her eyes. "If you leave your stuff here, you can run to the bathroom. The closest one is to the left."

The understanding in the woman's eyes set her heart at ease a little, and she nodded a little before getting up and rushing from the room. As soon as she was safely in a stall, she threw up, feeling exhausted by the time she was finished. Standing shakily, she made her way over to the sink and washed her face and hands before heading back to her class.

Many of the other students had left already, and she bit her lip in worry as she took her seat once more. Then, she noticed the note on her test – _You have until the next class comes in to finish. I remember being pregnant, and it could be a pain at times._ She looked up at her professor and saw the woman was smiling kindly at her, and she nodded, setting to work once more. Karen found that she only needed ten extra minutes to finish.

"Sorry about that," she murmured as she handed her test in.

"It's okay, I understand. How far along are you?"

"Four weeks. I know, for most people it would be too soon to tell, but it's not mine. My mom and stepfather wanted a baby, and so I offered to surrogate for them." She smiled as she rubbed her stomach a little.

"That's incredibly sweet of you. Let me know if you need any special accommodations as you finish the semester. All right?"

Karen nodded a little as she packed up her things. "Thank you, Doctor Brice." She left with a smile on her lips, and made her way over to the coffee shop to study for her next class. She had just gotten comfortable when her phone rang, and she pulled it out, seeing Penelope's name on the display. "Hello?"

"Hi, Karen. I just thought I'd check up with you today. How are you feeling?"

She sighed as she leaned back in her chair, her free hand covering her stomach. "I hate being sick, truthfully. But it will all be worth it in the end. It was nice seeing Mom and Dave at the concert Saturday. I was sort of worried that they would forget. Not that I would blame them, since they are trying to get away from the world, but…"

"Your mom really is trying to be better than she was before."

"I know. Penelope?"

"Yes, Karen?"

She took a deep breath and picked up her water bottle, taking a small sip. "This is going to sound odd, but I know you're magic with computers. Could you look into Tabitha's band teacher? They're a little closer than I think is appropriate, and I don't want her to get caught up in a scandal that could ruin her life before she's even lived."

As she listened closely, Karen heard Penelope suck in a short breath. "That's quite the accusation you're leveling at Ms. Engle, honey."

"I know. I just, Tabitha has such deep feelings, and I don't want her getting hurt."

Without meaning to, she started crying, and heard Penelope cluck with concern. "Oh, honey, can you afford to miss class?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"Come see me for a little bit. We'll look at Caroline together, and figure out if there's something to be worried about. All right?"

"Okay. I'll meet you at the BAU in forty?"

"Sounds good to me. See you soon." As they hung up, Karen packed her bag and stood up a little too quickly, weaving on her feet a bit. A warm, gentle, hand steadied her and she looked up into brilliant blue eyes. "Thanks."

"You are most welcome. I think you're in my American Lit class. You're Karen Strauss, right?" She nodded. "I'm Jared Palmer. I don't speak up quite as much as you do. You just seem to have so much insight. Are you okay, though?"

She tried to nod, but found that the movement made her head spin. "I think it's the morning sickness. I'm not accustomed to it yet."

His eyes shuttered to her, and she bit her lip uncertainly. "Oh, I didn't realize…"

"I'm carrying a baby for my parents," she said in a rush, suddenly wanting Jared to know the truth of her situation. "I'm taking next semester off, since I'm due right around Thanksgiving."

A warm smile of relief fluttered across his face, and she relaxed a little as she smiled back. "That's really nice, Karen. Um, so, are you going somewhere?"

"I have to meet with a family friend, she's doing some research for me. Why?"

"Oh, I just thought that you might like a ride. I'm free now, until my night class." He blushed a little, and she let out a ting huff of a laugh as she nodded. "Really?"

"Sure. I took the bus to campus this morning, and I don't really relish waiting for public transportation when it's this cold out." She smiled widely as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, shouldering her bag before walking her outside. The cold air bit into her skin and he tugged her closer, sharing his warmth. There was something so safe and welcoming about him, and she knew that even though they didn't really know each other, everything would be okay with him. And even still, she would have Penelope check him out, too.

"So, why aren't you just taking online courses next semester?" Jared asked as they walked.

"Pregnancy brain. My mom was telling me all about how she just would forget what she was doing in the middle of tasks, and I don't want my GPA to suffer. You know?" He nodded and she sighed a little, resting her head on his arm as they walked, feeling totally comfortable with him.


	63. Derek, JJ

Derek glanced up at his Penelope's office. She had closed herself in there with Erin's oldest daughter at eleven, and it was almost one. He wondered what was going on, but didn't want to interrupt anything important. Sighing, he tried to concentrate on his work, but still found his mind wandering.

"You know, you could just go up there and find out what they're talking about," Blake said, giving him a small smile. "It's not like Karen will bite you or anything."

"Yeah, but I want to give them some privacy. The kid looked a little worried."

"That kid is a junior in college, Derek. She's not as young as you think," she replied with a little laugh. "It doesn't surprise me, though, that she looks young. Erin always did as well."

JJ went flouncing past Garcia's door and then paused a moment in front of Hotch's, every muscle in her body tense. Derek made a low sound of concern, and Blake nodded, touching his upper arm lightly. "Do you have any idea what's going on there? Penelope said that JJ hasn't really spoken to her since we got back from our last case."

Blake shrugged a little. "I know she's staying at Dave and Erin's. I do not know what's going on between them. I don't want to poke the sleeping dragon, you know?" She smiled wryly at him and he couldn't help but let out a low laugh. It must have been loud enough for JJ to hear, though, as her head whipped around to look at him, a tight frown on her face.

Next to him, Blake buried her face in her work, trying to avoid JJ's gaze, and he patted her shoulder lightly while meeting the other woman's eyes steadily. She arched an eyebrow at him and he nodded before motioning to the elevators with his head. He received a sharp nod in return, and he made his way over there.

Within a minute, JJ had joined him, muttering under her breath. "All right, do you want to head out for coffee or work out that aggression?" he asked lowly as he pressed the down button.

"Coffee first and then I need to beat the shit out of a punching bag. Maybe two."

He tried not to be shocked by her casual profanity, but he knew that she was just trying to let off some steam. "And what could be so bad in your life that you would need to take it out on a poor, defenseless, punching bag?" he tried to ask humorously as they entered the elevator.

"Don't even start, Derek. Though it is a good thing that Rossi has a huge house. I can be alone as much as I want. And Tabitha does a really good job watching Henry for me." She let out a deep sigh as the doors closed. "Will keeps trying to call me. I'm not sure that I want to talk to him after what he tried to pull."

"And what would that be, Jay?" he asked gently, resting his hand on her upper arm.

"He thinks it's such a great idea to go away on a family vacation, just the three of us. Like that's going to fix anything! Seriously, there are times when I cannot stand his clinginess. It gets so cloying. And I do want to have another baby with him, not like that will replace the one I lost, but perhaps as a way to move forward from this nightmare."

He groaned lowly, hoping that she wouldn't pick up on it. The way that she elbowed him told him otherwise, and he looked down at her. "Having a child as a way to move on is not an ideal situation. I think you know that deep in your heart."

JJ sagged against the back wall, burying her face in one hand. "I just, I don't know where to go from here, Derek. I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life, and all the paths are shrouded in a thick fog." A deep sigh slipped from her lips and she met his eyes. "I can't have my heart's desire, you know."

"And what would that be?" he asked, holding up an arm to her. She burrowed in close to him, breathing in and out deeply as she tried to gain control of her emotions. It felt odd, somehow, to hold her so intimately and yet know that they were just close friends. Even Savannah didn't really cling to him like JJ was doing, and he found a well of protectiveness open up towards her.

"Aaron." The name was whispered, full of pain, and he rubbed her back tenderly as her breathing became a bit more ragged. "He doesn't share my feelings. He doesn't see himself with me. I'm perfect for him. I'm blonde like Haley was, I'm pretty like she was, and I'm certainly smarter than she was. What is there not to like about me?"

Derek knew that he would have to tread lightly so as not to upset her further. "You are an amazing woman, Jennifer. And you are some man's dream woman. His name is Will, and he loves you. Don't compare yourself to anyone else, it doesn't make you better, it makes you bitter. Don't give in to bitterness."

"I want more! I don't want to give up who I am to fit in with his idea of who I should be. I'm not a homebody. Aaron would know that about me. Why doesn't he like me?"

"Because he likes Penelope. He's kissed her twice now." The truth slipped from his lips unbidden, and he wished that he could take the words back the moment they were uttered. JJ stiffened in his arms before pulling away.

"And you let him kiss your girl?"

"She's my best friend. I don't own her." His words were short, clipped, and he knew that she was bothered by them as she glared at him. "They were sweet kisses on the cheek, not that it matters."

"It matters to me," she whispered sadly, all the fight seeming to leave her body. "He's really going to choose her?"

"I have no idea, Jayje. She's still with Sam, so who knows what will happen. But he may be making his choice. Are you going to be okay with that?"

"I suppose I have to be," she murmured as she stepped close to him once more. "Thanks for listening to me bitch."

"We're friends, that's what I'm here for." The doors opened, and he steered her towards the little café that made the best coffee. "And after we caffeinate ourselves, I'll hold onto the punching bag while you work out your anger." She let out a quiet laugh, and somehow he knew that things would be headed in the right direction now.


	64. Anderson, Tabitha, Penelope, Jessica

Anderson adjusted his tie nervously as he stood on the front porch of Agent Rossi's home. Jessica had asked him to pick her up here, since Tabitha would be watching Jack that evening for her. There was something imposing about the structure when the man wasn't there, and he tapped his foot in an uneven tattoo as he knocked heavily on the front door.

Running feet got louder and louder and he wondered who was going to answer. "Mr. Brian!" a young voice squealed out and he looked down into the cherubic face of Agent Jareau's son, Henry. "Aunt Jessica is still getting ready, Tabitha is with her. Come in and play with us!"

He grabbed hold of his hand and tugged Anderson inside, letting the door slam behind them. He stumbled after the boy, trying to gain his footing as he was pulled into the den. Jack was sitting on the couch, holding two controllers, bouncing impatiently. "Finally! And you are not allowed to have Mr. Brian all to yourself. We have to share him."

Anderson wondered what he had gotten himself into as Henry climbed up into his lap, resting his head against his chest as Jack started the game back up. Instinctively, he began to whisper hints into the boy's ear, and he nodded as he followed the directions given him.

After about fifteen minutes, he heard a soft cough come from behind them, and he turned his head to see Penelope and Tabitha standing there, smiling widely. "I have to go now, boys. Have fun, and don't stay up too late!"

"Whatever, Mr. Brian," Jack said off-handedly as he continued to focus on the game. Anderson gently slipped Henry off his lap, trying not to disturb him, and went to join the others.

"Jessica looks amazing! Oh, I hope that you have a wonderful time tonight!" Tabitha fairly squealed with excitement. "Ms. Engle would say that she looks radiantly beautiful."

"Tabby," Penelope replied lowly and the girl shrugged a little at her. "Teacher? Remember?"

"A girl can have a crush on whoever she likes. Crushes can go nowhere, as you well know." Tabitha stuck her tongue out at the older woman and that was when Anderson heard the low chuckle come from the stairs behind them. Turning a little, he looked up to see Jessica standing on the bottom step, a sweet smile on her face.

"I had to listen to that the entire time I was getting ready. And for what it's worth, I still side with PG, Tabby. You're just seventeen, you have your whole life ahead of you. It doesn't do to dwell on what you can't have." Jessica swept over to them, resting her hand on Anderson's upper arm. "Even if it is nice to daydream."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. Now go, have fun on your date. And if things get a little too fun, I can take Jack to school before I drop Henry off at pre-school. It's a routine I'm getting used to."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jessica stepped forward and hugged first Penelope and then Tabitha before rejoining his side. "All right, let's head out, Brian." She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, and he nodded, leading her outside to his waiting car.

"I didn't get you flowers or anything. I'm allergic to a lot of them. Sorry." He found himself stammering a little, trying not to stare too long, and yet finding himself drawn to her.

"That's fine. This is just a first date. I won't expect gifts until the second."

He would have sworn she was serious until she burst into a sweet giggle as he helped her into the car. "What sort of gift would you like?"

"A Cartier watch, a Jaguar, a better laptop so I don't throw my current one out the window and lose all progress I've made in my novel so far. Not that it's very much. I hate my muse at the moment."

He found that his breath was taken away by her animation, and he started the car while still watching her. "Why would you hate your muse?"

"I've been too happy lately! When Erin was dead, and I didn't know where I wanted to be in a year, and sorrow cast a long shadow over us, I could write so well. Now that I'm happy, and have some direction, she's decided to go into hiding. In the last three weeks, I've gotten exactly two paragraphs written." She let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, that has to be the most boring thing you've heard all day."

"No, not at all. When you're tasked with scut work I am every day, it's nice to hear what other people do. Go on. Tell me what you're writing about."

She gave him an almost shy nod, and he pulled out onto the street. "Well, I'm writing an out there book, sort of like an Arthurian cycle story, where my main character has to face seven tasks in order to bring his grandmother, the Queen, back to life. I started it as a way to work out my feelings over the unfairness of Erin's death, but now that she is very obviously alive, well…I've lost momentum."

"Why not try to write the happy ending? To me, it sounds a little like a fairy tale, too, and maybe if you had the ending down on paper, you could find the through line."

As he glanced over, he saw a luminous grin spread across her face. "You're a genius, Brian. As soon as we've arrived, I am so going to kiss you!"

Anderson blushed a little as he spoke once more. "Ah, I just try to think outside the box. I assumed that you are usually a linear writer, wanting to go from beginning to end without deviation. I just suggested that you look at the situation from the opposite way, and see what happens."

"But it was exactly what I needed. That's it, you are a keeper." And without warning, she leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly. "That is…"

"You're a keeper, too," he replied in a rush, glad to get the words out before he could become too shy. Things were looking up for him, and he knew that the night was only beginning.


	65. Penelope, Sam

Penelope fidgeted nervously in her seat as she waited for Sam to join her. She knew that tonight would be the night that she would tell him that she felt like things weren't working out between them, that he should find someone who could give him everything that he wanted. And while she didn't know if she really would pursue a relationship with Hotch, she knew that she wanted to be free to do so.

"More coffee, sweetie?"

She looked up into the kindly waitress's face and nodded a little. "Yes, thank you," she replied, holding out her mug.

"When are you expecting your partner?"

"Any minute now. You might want to bring by some extra napkins, I'm sure I'll be a sobbing mess by the end of this date."

"Why? Do you think he's breaking up with you?" the older woman asked as she set the coffee pot down on the table.

"No, I'm breaking things off with him." She sighed and rested her chin in the cup of her hand. "I loved the time with him, but I don't think that he's the right one for me. I'm pinning all my hopes and dreams on something that might blow up in my face. Is that wise?"

The woman smiled and shrugged a little. "It all depends on what your heart wants. In the end, your life comes down to the love you make and the love you let into your life. Who do you see yourself loving in ten years' time?"

She sucked in a deep breath and worried her lip a little. "Aaron," she finally murmured, meeting her waitress's eyes steadily.

"Then that's all you need to know. And I'll bring you by a piece of pecan pie after you deal with your beau. Pie makes everything better."

"Thank you." The woman nodded and left her alone with her thoughts once more. Bringing her mug to her lips, she sipped at the bitter coffee as she tried to think of the easiest, kindest, way to let Sam down gently. She did care for him, truly she did, but she also found that her heart was softening more and more towards Aaron, Hotch, every day.

"Penny for your thoughts, Penny?"

She looked up into Sam's smiling face and gave him a very weak smile back. That made his face fall a bit, and he hurriedly sat across from her, studying her face intently. "It's been a weird time. But why don't we eat before we talk?"

Penelope picked up her menu and stuck her face in it, trying to find a way to distract herself from his all too seeing gaze. Being an actor, he could read her face like a book, and she didn't want him to know what was up before she had found the perfect way not to hurt him. "Penelope, look at me."

He pulled the menu down, staring at her, and she felt her lower lip quiver. "Sam…I don't know how to say this to you. I never thought that something so perfect wouldn't be perfect for me. And that's why, that's why, I have to let you go. You have to find your happiness, since I don't think that it's with me. I'm sorry."

As she started to cry, Sam reached up and stroked her cheek gently, flicking away a few tears. "There's nothing to be sorry for. I sort of knew, in the back of my brain, that you would leave me for Derek one day." She blushed guiltily, and he frowned a little. "You don't have feelings for him?"

"Not like that. I'm falling for my boss. Just like Rossi fell for his boss. I just don't want to keep stringing you along, as if there would be a shred of hope for us in the future. That's not fair, and I just, can we still be friends? Kevin and I have never gotten back to that point in our relationship, and it hurts me more than I care to admit. I mean, I did sort of dump him unceremoniously, but he surprised me with that whole 'marry me' schtick. And I have the feeling that if things get weird between Hotch and myself, that Derek isn't going to be the best person to pour out my feelings on. So, I'm going to need you in my life. If you don't hate me."

He slipped his hand down to cover her lips, stilling her words. "I could never hate you, Penelope. You're too full of life and love and sweetness." Leaning over the table, he kissed her forehead softly, and she sighed through her tears. "And I will always be an extra ear to listen to you. I want you to be happy, I'm just sorry that it's not with me."

"I wish I could have been happy with you, too. I guess I just need the impossible dream."

"Well, you can be an impossible girl, in all the best ways." Once more, he stroked her face and gave her a sad smile. "So, what are we going to eat on our final date?"

"I was thinking pie. Pie cures a lot of ills, or so I'm told." She signaled for their waitress, and as soon as she was at their sides, said, "We'll need two pieces of pecan pie and some coffee for Sam, too."

"Sounds good, honey."

While they waited for their food, she reached out for and clasped Sam's hand, rubbing her thumb back and forth in gentle circles. "I'm not going anywhere, Penelope. You'll always have a friend in me."

"Thank you," she whispered. It wasn't the ending she was hoping for, but it had bone better than she had expected. And at least she had kept a friend, someone that she hoped would be close to her for the rest of her life.


	66. Erin, Dave, Penelope, Tabitha

Erin sighed as she packed her bag up. "I hate having to leave here so soon. This time with you has been such a blessing." She looked over her shoulder at her husband, smiling when she caught him checking out her ass.

"I feel a lot more rested, that's for sure," he replied as he closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down onto the bed. "In fact, I'm so well rested that I think we have time for one last session of lovemaking." He began to press soft, sucking, kisses along the length of her neck, and she giggled lightly as she playfully pushed him away.

"David, I really want to get home before lunch. Penelope said that she'd be over, and I think we have a lot to catch up on. Could we wait until tonight? Please?"

He sighed a little before pouting at her. "But a man so in love should always get what he wants. Shouldn't he?" He tried to bat his eyelashes at her, and the effect was so humorous that she couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up out of her body. "You wound me, Erin."

"I love you, David." She leaned in and kissed him deeply. "Just, my chickies need me. A mother's heart knows these things. Do you forgive me for wanting to hurry home and be there?"

Dave shook his head before kissing her deeply as he helped her to sit up. "I suppose I'll have to, since I want to keep you in my life. And you are the sweetest thing to happen to me in all the years that I've been back at the BAU. Fine, let's hurry home. The sooner you talk to them, the sooner we can escape up to our room and make love."

She laughed once more before snuggling in close to him. "I think that sounds wonderful, the best of both worlds. Oh, I hope that everything is okay. Penelope said that she had a lot to discuss with me when we got home."

He kissed her forehead tenderly, and she sighed as she relaxed in his arms. "If it were something terribly pressing, I'm certain she would have called us. Tabitha would have given her the number to the landline."

"I know, but I can't shake this feeling like there may be something more to this than just talk. I hate being worried." She absently began to trace the scar on her wrist, something she only did when she was extremely keyed up, and he stilled her hand, bringing the wrist to his mouth and kissing the scar. She looked into his eyes, and swallowed a few times before letting herself cry. "Davie…"

"Hey, hey, everything is going to be fine, I promise you that. The doctor said that I'm going to be fine as long as I don't do anything too strenuous for too long, and Karen is going to give us a child in nine short months, and Tabitha is going to bedevil you the entire time you're in London with her and Emily. Life is so wonderful, all you have to do is focus on that."

She drew in a deep, shuddering, breath as she nodded. "This is why I'm so happy that you're in my life. You always point me towards the positive aspects of my life. It's why I held on, you know. For you."

He smiled at her tender admission before pulling her into a tight embrace. "And that is why I will always hold on. For you." He kissed her once more before helping her to stand. "All right, let's just leave our things here, we'll be back soon enough." Erin went to protest, but then he was picking up her purse and handing it to her before sweeping her out of the room.

On the drive home, she rested on her side the entire time, watching him. There was something so peaceful about his presence, and she found herself daydreaming about what their baby would look like. She hoped that the child would have his hair and her eyes. Somehow, she felt the combination would be quite striking.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The future, darling. And hoping that our baby has your hair." She sighed. "Can you imagine a little girl with your black hair running around? Oh, she'll be so perfect!" She sighed with pleasure as she smiled at him.

"What if I want her to be a golden girl, like her mother, bright and shining like the sun she is?"

She shrugged a little. "I want a dark haired child. I want a carbon copy of you, but for her eyes. I selfishly want those to be mine. I love that idea." The smile that spread across his face told her that she had sold him on the idea and she grinned in return.

The rest of their drive was silent and she reached out to curl her hand around his shoulder, needing the contact. When they pulled into the driveway, she saw Penelope standing in the front window, anxiously watching for them. A tense smile crossed her lips when she caught Erin's eye and then she was gone. Somehow, Erin knew that she would be met at the door by the younger woman.

As she slipped out of the car, she could hear voices talking animatedly, and she shook her head as she smiled. "It sounds like we have two very excited girls eager to welcome us home, David," she said as she climbed the few stairs to the door.

"Penny, no!" Tabitha fairly shrieked as she threw open the door. "Momma, you can't listen to whatever she tells you. I know exactly what I'm doing and a crush is just a crush, I swear!"

Erin's brow furrowed a little as she opened her arms to her girls. Tabitha came rushing forward and buried her face against her chest, holding on to her tightly. "All right, let's get inside and I'll try to make everything better, I swear." Looking back at her husband, she gave him a warm smile and beckoned him to her side, somehow knowing that she would need him for whatever was about to come.


	67. Tabitha, Erin, Dave, Penelope

Lunch was a tense affair, and Tabitha knew that it was because of her and who she had chosen to have a crush on. Glancing at her mother, she saw the frown that marred her face, and Tabitha felt her stomach clench and knot up painfully. Unbidden, she began to cry, turning her focus once more to her plate as she struggled to get down her lunch.

It was useless, though, and she set her spoon aside as she pushed herself away from the table. "I'll be in my room," she whispered as she paused for a moment in the doorway. It tore at her heart to see all three adults nod vaguely in her direction, and she stifled the sob that rose to her lips as she ran from the room.

Blindly, she ran up the stairs and threw herself down on her bed, letting the sobs out as she buried her face in her pillow. Things had been so tense since Penelope had informed her mother and Papa Dave about her more than platonic interest in Ms. Engle. And she had no idea how to go about fixing things.

She heard a noise and fought the urge to look up from her pillow, not wanting to acknowledge the person. "Tabby, darling, we need to talk, just the two of us." Her bed dipped under her mother's weight, and she shook her head before sticking her face deeper into her pillow. It made it hard to breathe, but she didn't want to face her mother at the moment. "Honey, sit up and let me hug you."

Reluctantly, she sat up, refusing to look at her mother as she leaned against her. And then, she was being rocked back and forth as her mother sang to her a lullaby, trying to soothe her. "Momma, I like her. I don't love her. Didn't you have a crush on one of your teachers ever?" she asked when her mother had finished her song.

"Yes. But you have to be so careful, darling. So, so, careful. When did you know you liked girls?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Two years ago, when I found myself watching Ms. Engle more than normal. She called to me, for some reason, and I never looked back. I've never had a crush on a guy, haven't you noticed? Or do you hate me because of who I am?"

She started to cry once more as she burrowed in close to her mother. Tabitha closed her eyes as she waited for her to say something, anything, to her and as the moments stretched on, she felt like she was going to shatter, like she was going to be rejected. "Oh, my baby girl, I would love you if you fell for an alien with eyes for hands. I carried you in my body for forty weeks, I knew you before you were here. And if you like girls, that is fine with me. Just, don't get mad at me when I get all protective of my little girl. There are people in the world who are not the kindest, and I'll want to protect you from that."

Tabitha pulled away so that she could look into her mother's eyes. "And you aren't angry that I have a crush on my teacher?"

Her mother let out a deep, long, breath and pouted a little bit. "I can't say that I'm the happiest that you've fixated on a woman who is fifteen years older than you…"

"She's only eight years older than me!"

Tabitha smiled sweetly at her mother, only for her to laugh a little. "Oh, yes, only eight years is so much better." Reaching up, her mother tweaked her nose lightly. "If you want to pursue something, if you want to find out if your attraction is just a crush, you need to wait until you've graduated. There can be no hint of impropriety there, Tabby, since it could cost her her job. And I know that you don't want that." She shook her head. "All right then, try to focus on another girl in your class until June. And before we head to London, we'll have her over for a party with all our friends."

"Really?" she squealed out, hugging her mother tightly. "Oh, Momma, I love you!" She kissed her cheek with a loud smack and then grinned when she saw Papa Dave in the threshold of her door. "Come in."

"All right, since your mother is determined to be the good cop in this situation, I guess I have to be the bad cop." He sat next to her and stroked her hair gently. "With the job I do, I have to ask these questions. Has she done anything inappropriate with you, at all? Has she tried to coerce you into doing something you don't feel right about doing?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No. The most that's happened is we've hugged, and that was in front of a bunch of people. We joke around, and can talk about anything, but it's never veered into something that could even hint at scandal. Even if I do daydream about how soft her lips are," she said in a rush, blushing a bright red.

Papa burst out in his rich, raucous, laugh and ruffled her hair lightly. "If I didn't know better, I would swear that we share some DNA. I did my fair share of imagining how soft girl's lips were, when I was your age. Come to think of it, I still imagine that, though only about your mom." Leaning over, he kissed her mother tenderly before kissing the top of her head. "No kissing her before June, just like your mother said."

"You guys really freaked me out. I so thought you were going to take Penelope's side!"

"She has only your best interests at heart, dear."

"Yes, she does. And she so does not agree with the Rossi's in this case. Even if you will be an adult in April, and will graduate in May, there is still an imbalance of power inherent in any relationship that you may want to pursue. I'm sorry that I'm a Debbie Downer, honey."

Tabitha shrugged a little. "No, you're just going to be my voice of reason, Penny. I suppose that I need that grounding in the days to come. And I still love you, all of you. Even if you are going to be keeping a close eye on me."

"For the next three months, yes," Erin replied, tweaking her nose gently. "All right, princess, let's go back down and see if you can get some dessert in you." Tabitha nodded and followed after her mother, never letting go of her hand.


	68. Alex, Erin

Alex sighed as she tugged at the hem of her shirt. Somehow, she had managed to spill coffee on it, right before church, and she found herself frustrated at the fact that she would have to hurriedly changed so that they wouldn't be late. "Jamie! I'll be right back," she called out as she slipped out of her heels and ran upstairs.

Tearing open the armoire door, she thumbed through her blouses and pulled out a soft lilac one, ripping the dirty one off and throwing it into the hamper before tugging on the clean one. Heading over to the mirror, she tried to straighten her hair, but found it impossible, so she grabbed a headband out of her hair drawer and shoved it on her head before hurrying out of the room once more.

"Did you spill?" he asked as she stepped back into her shoes, and she nodded. "At least you didn't burn yourself."

"This is very true. I guess that I'm just a little nervous this morning. Which is stupid, I know. I've missed Erin, though, and that makes me nervous."

Her husband closed the distance between them and kissed her forehead gently. "It is perfectly okay to feel nervous or scared or whatever you feel. But I should remind you that Erin isn't going to bite your head off, or hate you. You have become close friends again, and that makes me happy."

James kissed her once more, on the lips this time, and she relaxed in his arms. "I know you're right, Jamie. And I love growing closer to her once more." She let James help her into her coat before they went into the garage. When he turned on the car, her music was blaring out, and she blushed a little.

"Still listening to that in order to work out your emotions?" he gently teased, and she nodded. "My colleagues do not believe me, you know. You'll have to come in and perform for them."

Alex blushed deeply as she shook her head. "That's my coping mechanism. I could never do it in front of others, you know?"

"I do." The drive to church seemed shorter this morning, and she smiled a little when James parked next to Dave's car. "See, we're not late. Karen's just pulling in, and Penelope is going in the door as we speak. You won't be the last one."

Reaching out, she smacked his arm lightly. "Hush, you." Getting out of the car, she grabbed her purse and then smiled at him. "I'll see you inside." She speed walked over to the door and then hung her coat up next to Penelope's.

"Lexie!" Erin called out and made her way over to her side. Soon, Alex was enveloped in a warm hug, and she embraced Erin back, rubbing her back gently. "Oh, it's so good to see you! We have to catch up, are you free today for lunch? I was thinking it could be just you and me, like old times."

Penelope came up to their sides, and she was frowning a little. "What about me?" she asked with a pout.

"You spent the night at our house, Penny. I need time to catch up with Alexandra, too." Erin slipped her arm through Alex's and led her into the sanctuary, Penelope trailing at their heels. "Get in first, so you can sit next to me. Unless you want to sit next to Aaron."

The woman's head shot up as a wide smile spread across her face. "When did he get here?"

"About three minutes ago, Aunt Penelope," Jack said as he threw his arms around her legs. "Did you bring Henry with you today?"

She shook her head a little, and Alex glanced out into the sanctuary to see JJ and Henry just coming in the doors. "Hey, Jack, I think they just got here."

"Great!" he exclaimed as he rushed out into the narthex. As Alex watched, Penelope stepped over to Aaron's side, possessively grabbing hold of his hand. This seemed to startle Aaron, though he did wrap that arm around her waist after a few moments.

Erin tittered lowly next to her and she felt her lips tip up in a smirk. "What?"

"The green eyed monster rears its head once more. Come, sit. Tabitha decided to go to her friend's church today. And by friend, I think she meant Ms. Engle."

"Erin! You can't be encouraging that, can you?"

She shrugged a little. "She'll be an adult soon, I had Penelope do a complete background check on her last night – and do not tell Tabby I did that, she would never forgive me – and she seems all right. There are worse people I could ask to have in my child's life."

"I suppose." They sat, and Erin sighed gently. "What?"

"I miss being with you all the time. There's a certain sense of boredom that creeps into retirement. I mean, it's been nice having JJ and Henry with us this weekend, even though it was tense at times. I felt like I was doing something, you know?"

"I do. We leave you behind every time we go out in the field, and I'm sure that David misses you, too. I wish there was a way you could come with us, be more connected to us." The words slipped unbidden from her lips, and she was surprised to feel Erin's hand clasp hers tightly as Dave stepped over them to take a seat on Erin's other side. "What is it, honey?"

"I need you to watch over him, okay? He won't tell the others when he's struggling, so I'm counting on you to be my eyes and ears. I love him, and I love you, and I'm trusting you to do this for me."

All Alex could do was nod as the opening hymn started. As she opened the hymnal, Reid slipped in next to her, effectively cutting off any further communication with her friend. The only thing she could do was hold onto Erin's hand tightly as they sang, trying to focus all her love and caring into that simple gesture.


End file.
